Remember when arc
by The PowerGoddess
Summary: Looking back over the years, Duo and Wufei remember their lives and loves. 5x2, 1x3x4 moredifferent pairings as the story progresses!
1. Prologue

We do not own the rights to GW! Never have and never will!

Warnings: Angst, language, slight OOC

Archived at: AFF, MM, and 

Remember when…prologue by Sparkling Diamond PG-SSM & SaiyajinRaven69

265 A.C.

It had been seventy years since peace had settled across the colonies and Earth. Mars was now colonized with hundreds of thousands of workers and families living peacefully there. More colonies were added amongst the stars. The small tight knit group of people that made it out of the war was now dwindling.

Photo albums upon photo albums were piled next to a large bed, a withered hand taking the next one off the top to flip the pages. A smile touched the old man's face as he saw the youthful faces smiling back at him. With a deep sigh, he turned to the next page. Most of them were dead…

_'We used to be so young…'_ He thought, glancing at a group picture taken just after the war.

_'So hard to believe it now. We lost Noin in the spring of 201. Lady Une and Sally in the fall of 223. Trowa passed just a few years back from cancer… along with Zechs. That was one of the hardest years we had to bear. To lose a lover and a best friend. Quatre didn't take the death of his other half very well, but he's here. Wufei and Heero? I'm not sure how long until they pass, or myself for that matter. We're old. We never thought we'd see the tender age of sixteen, but here we are, old and frail looking.' _

"Duo?"

"Yeah, Wu?" Duo turned from the stack of albums, adjusting his glasses to see his long time friend and lover. He smiled slightly, watching Wufei come into the room with his cane clicking on the hard wood of the flooring.

"What are you doing? Looking at those old pictures again?" Wufei shook his head, his fine, loose hair lofting softly over his shoulders.

"Yes. I just wanted to remember." The once braided man answered, turning his face back to the photographs.

"What did you want to remember?" The man with salt and pepper hair asked, sitting down next to the violet-eyed man. Duo merely shook his head. Did he really need a reason to look back through the years?

"You remember this picture? We were all down at the lake, and that goose chased Heero into the water?" Duo let out a snicker, pointing to a photo of a drenched, and angry looking Heero as he stumbled back up onto the shore. One moment in time, immortalized forever.

"You wouldn't let him live that down." Wufei smiled at the memory. "I like this picture, here." He pointed to a picture on the next page of six men surrounded by small smiling faces. Even though there was only one biological child in the bunch, the children that were reared by the Gundam pilots were all happy, carefree, and special in their own way. Each of them the pride and joy of their fathers' lives.

"We've had a full life, Wu. We made it through the wars. We found each other when we didn't think there was anyone who could possibly understand us. We found love in another soul that made our circle complete. We made it through diaper changes, and 3 a.m. feedings. We patched up all the bumps, bruises and scraped knees of childhood. We survived the first dates, and the horrible talks about the female body. We watched them graduate one by one. We walked our girls down the aisle. We've watched as our friends and loved ones died…" Duo's voice cracked slightly, but he smiled as he flipped the page.

"And it was worth every second of our lives. I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world." Wufei whispered, his wrinkled hand seeking out to grasp Duo's.

"You're right, I wouldn't trade my life for anything. I think I made the best of it…"

"_We_ made the best of it, Duo. You, Heero and myself. Don't you forget that." Duo nodded at the slight squeeze of his hand. He wouldn't forget. He placed down the album that sat in his lap before twisting to look at Wufei.

"Do you remember when….?"


	2. Life loves a tragedy

We do not own the rights to GW! Never have and never will!

Warnings: Angst, language, slight OOC

Archived at: AFF, MM, and www.templeofthegoddess.com

Remember when…Life loves a tragedy part one by Sparkling Diamond PG-SSM & Saiyajin_Raven69

July 24 of 199 A.C.

"Duo, you have to stop doing this! You don't have the time or the money to keep picking up every kid on the streets!" Duo huffed in annoyance, swiveling himself around in his dilapidated desk chair to face the blonde on his vid-phone screen.

"If I had known you would turn this into a huge affair, Quat, I wouldn't have called you! I just need a little to pay next month's rent, and to get food for the girls."

"Duo, you have to see things from my perspective. You're barely nineteen years old. You're going to college, and live in a tiny apartment. How are you going to afford the bills on this one?"

"Stop talking like they're inanimate objects! The girls are both human and need help, which I'm going to give them. Don't make me bring up what Tro brings home every week!"

"That's different! Stray animals are different, Duo…"

"Bullshit! Your damn mansion is turning into the pet menagerie from hell! I'm just surprised it hasn't been turned into a wildlife preserve yet. You get Trowa to get rid of all those animals and I'll get rid of the babies." Duo grinned widely into the screen knowing fully well that Trowa would not get rid of a single critter, and Quatre knew this. The blonde sighed, lifting a hand to his head to rub at a throbbing headache that was starting. Duo had him once again, and here he thought he was the strategist of the group.

"I can't, Duo. You know what Heero will do to me if he finds out that I'm sending you money again? He'll flip out and won't talk to me for a week!"

"Then don't tell him, Quat. Please I need just a little. I've been working my ass off with two jobs, going to school and taking care of the babies. I promise to pay you back once I get my degree! You know I'm good for it. Please…"

"I'll see what I can do, but I'm not promising anything."

"Thanks, Quat! Look, I have to go, but I will talk with you soon. Tell Trowa and Heero I say hello." Duo cut the connection before his friend could get another word out. He didn't want to make the call, but things weren't coming together as Duo had planned. He only had one more year in college before getting his teaching degree, but with things the way they were at the moment, he wasn't sure if he was going to graduate on time.

_____________________

"What did Duo want now?" The question startled the young billionaire from his thoughts. Quatre thought he was alone today, but evidently Trowa had been there all along.

"Nothing much. Just a few thousand credits to tide him over for a bit. You know the deal." The blonde shrugged his shoulders before picking up pieces of paper off the desk and organizing them. There was no way he was going to be able to transfer that money into Duo's bank account now. Once Trowa knew, Heero would know shortly after. There were no secrets between them.

After the wars, Trowa had moved in with Quatre while going to college. Deep friendship proved to be more than what it seemed, and they soon became lovers. The third partner of the relationship didn't come until after the Mariemaia Incident. Heero would have disappeared forever if it wasn't for both Trowa and Quatre asking for the solider to move in with them. After eight months of subtle hints, Heero became the lover of both teens. Lives and secrets were shared along with the hurt, pain and joy they'd had in their short lives.

"Heero isn't going to like you sending money to Duo again. He's going to have to learn to make it on his own." Trowa replied entering the room further to stand in front of a window that over looked the enormous backyard. He heard the casters on the chair glide back, and the presence of his lover behind him before two strong arms wrapped themselves around his chest.

"I know that, Trowa. It's just…he needs the help and I can't deny him! He's a good friend, and he's making something of his life, something good." The blonde answered, laying his head against Trowa's back, soaking in the warmth the taller teen seemed to radiate.

"We all are, Quat. Wufei is still working for the Preventers. Heero is doing great as the head of your security team. I'm sure Duo is going to be a great teacher. I know he enjoys working with kids." Trowa twisted in the entangled limbs that hugged him closely to look at his lover. He was sure Quat wasn't telling him everything, but he didn't need to be psychic to figure it out.

"What did he name this one?" Quat's head shot up, eyes huge at the question. He was sure no one was in the room when he was talking with their braided friend.

"You knew?"

"No, you just confirmed it though." Trowa chuckled, tightening his hold on his lover. Quatre bit his bottom lip, mentally berating himself. It seemed so easy for Trowa to get answers from him. How pathetic was that?

"I'm not sure. I didn't ask."

_______________

Duo hadn't realized he was so late for classes when he hung up on his friend. He rushed around the small apartment looking for books and folders, while trying to pack a small diaper bag for the two infant girls that shared his small home with him. Aleana, the eight month old, and the first baby he had taken in was squalling for her binky, while the still nameless babe was snoozing in an infant seat near the couch.

"I'm coming Aleana, Daddy's coming. I know I saw that dang thing around here some place. Ah ha!" The braided teen cried out in triumph, finding the lost pacifier under the end table. He turned with a smile placing the found object at the small redhead's quivering lips.

"Shhhh, I found it. But we have to go. Mrs. Gregory is probably waiting for us by now, and I'm already late for my first class." Duo picked up Aleana, settling her on his hip, while he picked up the overly stuffed diaper and book bag over his other shoulder. Slipping his keys into his coat pocket, Duo picked up the baby seat with the sleeping infant that had to be no older than a month, and slipped out the door of his apartment.

The elevator was broken once again, but Duo took his time on the stairs, nimbly making his way down the ancient steps with the girls. Thank God he was still young, and could handle everything that he was carrying. Once street level, the sounds of the city assaulted young ears, making Aleana whimper, and the new baby wake with a howl, not happy to be awakened by the sounds of cars and loud voices.

"It's all right. We're almost there." Duo said in a soothing voice, smiling as his oldest buried her small face against his neck.

"Mr. Maxwell! You're running late!" An elderly looking lady scolded the teen from the front porch of a neighboring building.

"I know Mrs. Gregory. I'm sorry, but I got caught up talking to a friend. I have to work late tonight, but I promise to be back to get both of them as soon as I can." Duo said quickly, following the woman into her first floor apartment.

"It's all right dear. I'm sure everything will go just fine. Don't worry at all, I have things under control. Go now, before you're too late." Mrs. Gregory shooed the teen away with a sweep of her old hand.

"Everything should be in the diaper bag. I also left some extra credits in there just in case."

"Duo!" The woman scolded him again, pinning him with a gaze that would scare even Heero.

"I'm going! Thank you, Mrs. Gregory!" Duo called out, his long braid trailing behind him as he ran.

_______________________________

Duo sighed, looking over his books on the large desk in front of him. The time seemed to fly by earlier in the day, but since eight o'clock, time seemed to stand still as he worked. The stupid tie around his neck bothered him, and so did the freaking idiot looking hat he had to wear as part of his uniform, but a job was a job. Even if he had to take a measly security job at an office building to make a few extra credits.

"Man, I should have told Frank I wouldn't work this damn shift for him. I could be at home with the girls…" He flipped his pen down on the desk, glancing from monitor to monitor finding nothing out of the ordinary…like usual.

"Yo, Maxwell. You have a phone call." Duo looked pointedly at the middle-aged man that came into the security room.

"Are you sure? Damn it." Duo cursed under his breath with the confirming nod. Who could it be? He was praying it wasn't Heero calling to tell him to leave Quat alone and to stop begging for money…again. He'd already heard that speech once, and that was enough for him.

"Hello? Duo Maxwell speaking…" He started his usual spiel, but was interrupted by a hysterical woman on the other end. His face paled visibly, his knees shaking as he rose from the desk chair.

"Oh no. Oh god, I'm on my way, Mrs. Gregory." Duo didn't say a word as he gathered up his coat and books, before fleeing the room.

____________________________

Heero grumbled loudly, throwing an arm over the top of his head to block out the annoying tone of the vid-phone going off. It seemed the other two in bed with him were not going to get up to answer it, why should he? Who ever it was trying to call would get bored and hang up, eventually. At the twentieth ring, Heero threw back the blankets, grabbing his robe from the floor in a huff. The person on the other end was going to know where to shove it.

"What?" Heero had answered before taking a seat in front of the screen, not caring one way or the other who it was, or what they might need.

"Heero? Is that you?"

"Duo, you better have a good reason to be calling at two o'clock in the morning." Heero bit out angrily, his eyes finally focusing on the teen on the the screen. Duo looked disheveled, his braid coming undone, his uniform rumpled, his tie draped around his neck.

"Look, I need to speak with Quat. It's an emergency."

"What's the emergency?" The mere word striking the ex-pilot's curiosity.

"I'm at the hospital here, and I need some money or something. They won't treat her because I don't have insurance on her!" Duo said frantically.

"You called because you need money, or the influence of the Winner name?"

"Yes, now please get Quat for me…"

"No."

"Heero? Please, I need to speak with him."

"I said no."

"Please? She's going to die without treatment, Heero. Please? I won't ask for another thing for the rest of my life…"

"Deal with it, Duo. I'm going back to bed." With those curt words, Heero hung up.

Thousands and thousands of miles away, Duo bit back a strangled cry. How could his friend just hang up on him in his time of need? His fingers clenched tightly in his hair, knuckles white with frustration.

"Damn it!" The teen chocked out, one hand slamming into the wall beside the vid-phone screen.

He just couldn't believe the day he was having. He was late for classes; he spilled coffee all over a businessman at his first job, as waiter at a little coffee house near the financial district. He wasn't even supposed to be working his security job tonight, but he figured he could use the extra money since finding the new baby just days ago. The call from a frantic Mrs. Gregory changed his day from not going well, to downright terrifying.

There wasn't much he could do but wait for news when he arrived at the hospital. The nameless baby he had picked up a few days ago now had a name, courtesy of Mrs. Gregory. The doctors needed a name, so the old woman named her Miranda Paige Maxwell. Duo frowned at the name, but it didn't matter much when the doctors came out to deliver the news. Whomever had dumped the baby to die knew something was wrong. The infant had dire heart and lung problems from what Duo could catch from all the technical words that were flying out of the older doctor's mouth. Her kidneys were failing as well…_'oh god, no.'_

The doctors had all agreed to treat the baby, but that would take money; a lot of it. Money that Duo didn't have. Insurance? Sure he had it…but only for himself, nothing for Aleana or Miranda. No insurance, no money, no treatment. One nurse asked him if he would just sign the papers to let her die.

Duo had begged the doctors to take her, promising that the hospital would have their money for the treatment. He didn't care what they had to do, just save _'his'_ baby from dying. He cursed himself. It would have been easier to part with the child if he didn't have emotional attachments already. He shook his head. He'd already fallen in love with the baby.

"There is only one last person to call. I hope he doesn't turn me away…"

_______________________________

Commander Chang Wufei woke with a start at the sound of his vid-phone ringing at quarter to four in the morning. Heaving a deep sigh, he crawled out of his warm and comfortable bed to answer. He was not looking forward to being called into work on his remaining day off this week.

He slid slowly into his desk chair, pressing the on button while swiping at some of his loose hair to get it out of his dark eyes.

"Hello?" he breathily answered, wiping the sleep from his eyes.

"Wu? Please, don't hang up on me!"

"Duo?" Wufei asked, his eyes widening a little to taken in Duo's frantic looking state.

"I need a favor, man. Heero is severely pissed at me, and won't let me talk with Quat."

"Slow down. What's going on? What favor do you need from me? Last time I checked, I wasn't high on your _'friends'_ list." The Chinese man snorted out, shaking his head.

"Don't even start that, Wu. I didn't want to call you, but I need help. Please." Red rimmed blue-violet eyes locked with dark sleepy eyes for a moment, the tone in Duo's words making Wufei pay more attention to his once comrade in arms.

"What do you need? Have you been crying?" a small sniffle was all Wufei heard, a slight shaking of Duo's shoulders as the chestnut haired man bowed his head away from the screen.

"Look, if you can't help me, just say so. I…"

"I'll help you, Maxwell. Just tell me where you are, and what you need." Duo raised his face towards the screen, relief flooding his eyes. Finally, someone that would help him.

"Granger Hospital in California. I need money, Wu. My little girl will die if I don't have it." Wufei bit back a gasp of surprise. _'When did Duo have a child?'_

"I'm not far from you. I'll be there, Duo. Just calm down and relax. You can tell me everything once I get there."

"You don't know how much this means to me…"

"I'm sure I don't, Maxwell. See you in a few hours." The Chinese man cut the connection quickly, mentally thinking of things he would need to take on his emergency trip.

_________________

Wufei arrived at Granger Hospital shortly after 10 a.m. after a short plane ride to a nearby airport. The main floor was quiet, with a scattering of nurses and other hospital employees coming and going. His first mission was to find Duo, then find out what had the teen so upset that he would call him so damn early in the morning. Spotting an admitting desk off of a small waiting room, Wufei adjusted his backpack as he walked towards it.

"Can I help you?" The clerk, wearing far too much make up, asked sourly as he approached her desk. 

"I'm looking for a friend. His name is…"

"You'll have to go to the desk down the hall to find out where patient's rooms are."

"He's not a patient, but his daughter is. He called…"

"I told you, you have to go to the desk down the hall, young man." She said, turning away from him to type at her computer.

The Chinese teen exhaled loudly through his nose, his fingers biting into the fabric of his backpack. "Listen. My friend called me early this morning, telling me that this institution would not treat his daughter without proof that he could pay for her treatment. I'm here to take responsibility for any charges incurred. Can you help me with that, or should I ask to see your supervisor?" He snarled at the woman, as he laid his wallet on the desk, prominently displaying his Preventers' badge.

_________________

Muttering a few choice words under his breath, he made his way down the white tiled hallway toward another desk, hoping that not all the staff were as rude as the woman he'd just encountered.

He found the clerk at the reception desk to be a lot more helpful than the woman in registration. He was directed to Duo within a matter of minutes after conversing with the receptionist. He found the boy looking very small, huddled in a chair in an otherwise empty waiting room, near Pediatric Intensive Care. 

The braided teen hadn't slept in over twenty-four hours, and his eyes were fighting with him to close, while his brain told him to keep them open. He didn't want to miss Wufei when he finally arrived, and he sure as hell didn't want to miss any doctor or nurse that would bring him information.

"How long am I going to have to wait?" Duo sighed out, burying his face in his hands.

"For me, or for those people you call doctors?" Wufei smirked, leaning against the doorframe, watching Duo's face flitter with several different emotions before settling on one that seemed to be almost disbelief. _'Was he afraid I wasn't going to show up when I said I was?'_

"You're here…"

"I said I would be. I would never dishonor myself by lying to you. Now tell me what's going on." The question floated unanswered for a moment, Duo watching his friend taking a seat directly across from him.

"Umm, well…I'm not really sure where to start, Wu. I mean…"

"How about the beginning? That always works for me."

Duo spent the next fifteen minutes telling his friend about how he had found, and taken in both children. He told Wufei of his working two jobs to pay the bills, and keep them all fed, while still working toward his degree in teaching. By the time he had related the events of the past few hours, the braided boy was visibly exhausted. 

"I wasn't really paying much attention to the doctors as they rattled off all this shit. When Mrs. Gregory called me, the baby was having trouble breathing, and was acting lethargic. Damn it, I wish I understood what was going on."

"Have they come by to brief you lately?" Duo shook his head, his fingers fiddling absently with the navy blue tie that was draped around his neck.

"I will see what is going on then. Maybe if I pull a few strings, these people will get their asses moving."

"Don't threaten them with your Preventers' badge or anything. I just want to know if there is anything that can be done to save her…God, I don't want to lose her, Wu. I don't wanna…"

Wu knelt down in front of the other boy, hesitating slightly before wrapping his arms around him.

"Shhhh, I'm sure everything will be fine."

________________________________

Less than six hours after reassuring Duo Maxwell that the orphan baby he had come to care for would be fine, Wufei stood cursing himself for muttering those words. Things were not fine, only becoming steadily worse at the hours ticked by.

The nurses had allowed Duo to visit for just a few moments, but it seemed to increase the stress Duo was under, rather than lessen it. The braided teen had worried over the countless wires and tubes running from the tiny body. For the first time in years, Duo had fallen to his knees and prayed to a God that he had long ago deemed not to exist.

Mrs. Gregory stopped by with Aleana to check on Duo, and to bring him some dinner that she had prepared just for him. They only stayed forty-five minutes before the red haired infant started squalling. Duo had tried in vain to quiet the babe, but his nerves were frazzled, and his normally cheery disposition just wouldn't surface to calm her. 

The Chinese boy sat silently, watching everything that happened around him. He had remembered the brash young man that called himself _'The God of Death'_, but that name didn't seem to fit him any longer. Duo had grown up, literally, in the two years since he had seen him last. He was taking responsibility for two abandoned babies, working two jobs while going to school. Wufei allowed a small smile; he thought that Duo would end up working in that damn salvage yard with Hilde until he died. He decided that there was certainly more to Maxwell than what meets the eye.

"Mr. Maxwell?" A young looking doctor called out, his nose buried in files that he held in his arms. Duo frowned, not recognizing the man that had stepped into the waiting room calling his name.

"Yes?"

"Would you like us to call a priest to have last rites performed?"

TBC…


	3. Life loves a tragedy part 2

We do not own the rights to GW! Never have and never will!

Warnings: Angst, language, slight OOC

Archived at: AFF, MM, and www.templeofthegoddess.com

Part two of 'Life loves a tragedy' by Sparkling Diamond PG-SSM & Saiyajin_Raven69

"Last…last rites? What the hell are you talking about? Are you sure you have the right person?" Duo had vaulted out of the chair he was in, knocking over the low table, sending books and magazines scattering to the floor in his haste to reach the doctor.

"Duo Maxwell? Your daughter's name is Miranda, correct?" The doctor asked, adjusting his wire frame glasses on his nose.

"Yeah, that's me. But why…"

"Well, it says in her chart that Miranda Maxwell is clinically brain dead. Have you not been…" The doctor stopped, looking over the top of the files at the dark haired teen that had come to stand next to Duo.

"When did this happen? Why were we not informed?" Wufei snapped out, his arm snaking around Duo's waist as the braided teen started to sway on his feet.

"Dr. Douglas hasn't been in to see you?"

"No. I think you had better explain what is going on, Doctor?"

"I'm Dr. Gastin, and you are?"

"Commander Chang Wufei of the Preventers, Duo's close friend." Wufei answered, steering Duo to the nearest chair as he slumped against him in shock.

"Preventers? I ummmm,"

"Doctor, you are seriously trying my patience. What information do you have regarding his child?" The Chinese teen snarled, as he glanced at a pale, stricken Duo seated next to him, before turning his glare back toward the doctor. Dr. Gastin fumbled briefly with the files in front of him, clearly intimidated by the young Preventers agent. He raised his eyes, nervously meeting Wufei's narrowed dark gaze, before clearing his throat and reading from the page.

"As of 5:38 p.m., Miranda P. Maxwell was declared brain dead, but continues to be kept alive by means of life support. She suffered from the failure of several organs, including heart, lungs and kidneys. Brain damage was incurred due to lack of oxygen. She was resuscitated four times when she stopped breathing, before she was hooked to a ventilator. We did all we could for her, but she really didn't have much of a chance for survival."

"Is that really the case, or could something have been done to save this child while she was denied treatment as her father called all over the universe to gather the money to pay your outlandish fees at this hospital?"

"Our hospital would never deny treatment of a patient, Commander Chang."

"Don't give me that fucking bullshit! The idiots in the emergency room wouldn't even touch this child until Maxwell could guarantee payment for her treatment! Just because a person may not look as if he has money, doesn't mean that he can't or won't pay his bill. She's a baby for God's sake! How could they turn their backs on a baby in dire need of help?" Wufei shouted, his knuckles turning white with restraint.

"It took me hours to get to the hospital, and in that time the baby was not cared for in any way."

Dr. Gastin turned to Duo with wide eyes. "Is that correct, Mr. Maxwell?" Duo could only nod in answer, not trusting his voice to speak. Since arriving at the hospital so many hours before, he had broken down twice, and he swore to himself that he wouldn't do it again, especially in front of Wufei. He had done it once, and that was enough.

"Do you remember who you spoke with in ER last night?"

"No, everything was a blur." Duo whispered, shaking his head. He felt the weight on his heart constrict ever tighter. He couldn't remember coming into this waiting room, let alone the faces or names of those he'd been in contact with during the endless time he had spent there.

"I'm extremely sorry for the way you were treated…"

"Apologies won't bring that little girl back, Dr. Gastin. No amount of _'I'm sorry'_ will do anything to save her now." The chair Wufei had been sitting in screeched across the floor as he stood in anger. Dr. Gastin backed away hastily, wanting to be out of the way of the violent outburst that seemed to be boiling just below the Chinese teen's surface.

"I still need to know..." the doctor began, before being interrupted by the angry boy.

"There is nothing further that you need to know! What you _need_ to do now, is to take Maxwell to see his daughter!"

"Yes, yes by all means. If you would follow me." Dr. Gastin stepped out into the corridor, waiting for the teens to join him.

Wufei laid one hand on Duo's shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze as he looked down at his heart broken friend, before crouching down to be at eye level with him.

"Duo? You need to say your goodbyes. I'll come with you, if you'd like."

"Why? She's not going to hear me. She's already gone." Duo whispered hoarsely, unable to meet Wufei's eyes in fear of losing what little control he had left over his emotions.

"Closure, Duo. You need that. Come with me, don't make her wait any longer."

"You're right, 'Fei. Can't let her suffer more than she has."

______________________

The lights in the small room were dim, but the quiet sounds of the respirator and monitors all around the small form in the bassinet were anything but comforting. Duo slowly approached the still form of the baby that he'd grown to love in the short time he'd known her. The knowledge that he would never hold the quiet girl again weighed heavily on his heart. He was enraged by the neglect of the hospital staff, feeling that this precious child would still be alive had they been driven by compassion, rather than greed. He attempted to smile for her, but the waves of emotions that were crashing over him were overwhelming, and his smile came out as a small, sad frown.

"Hey, Sweet Pea. I'm sorry I didn't get to say good-bye properly, but I'm here now." Duo whispered softly, "I brought your Uncle Wu to see you too. I'm sure you would have liked him. He's a cool guy, and a great friend. I'm sure he would have had you in the backyard at five in the morning doing katas, or whatever it is he does back there."

Wufei stood not far from Duo, silently watching his friend's heartbreaking moment. He was surprised at the mention of his name, making the lump in his throat grow even larger. He really didn't know why he was in the room, but the tug he felt on his heartstrings when he looked at Duo made him realize that he wouldn't be anywhere else. Duo needed him, and he was bound to stay.

"Wu?" The dark haired teen was shaken from his thoughts by the soft utterance of his name. Duo smiled a little, motioning him over to the small bed. With quiet steps, he walked across the floor to stand next to Duo. He looked down at the baby in the crib, noticing for the first time the soft wisps of black hair that crowned her head, and the slight slant of her eyes. She was beautiful.

"Pretty, isn't she?" Duo asked in a whisper after hearing Wufei gasp. He gently brushed the silky hair on top of her head, carefully avoiding the tubes and wires that were still attached to her. Wufei simply nodded, as he reached out to stroke a tiny hand. Duo looked up at the gesture, surprised by the tenderness on his friend's face.

"I can't do this alone, Wu. Could you…could you help me?" He thought that he was strong enough to go through with it; to flip the switch that would shut down the last of the machines keeping the precious infant alive. The tears that were welling in his eyes, that he was trying desperately to keep at bay, blurring his vision,

"Yes, Duo. I'm here for you. All you have to do is ask." Trying in vain to swallow past the lump in his throat, Wufei reached over to interlace his fingers with Duo's. Their movement was slow, but the snap of the final switch seemed to echo in the quiet room.

"Good bye, Miranda. Say hi to Solo for me when you get to heaven. Look for Sister Helen and Father Maxwell. They'll take good care of you. I love you, Sweet Pea."

_______________________________________

"It isn't much too look at, but it's a roof over our heads. Make yourself at home." Duo said quietly, his voice still rough from his earlier crying. He tossed his keys on the kitchen table, being careful not to disturb Aleana, who was sleeping cradled against his shoulder. He gestured to let Wufei know that he'd be back shortly, before disappearing down a narrow hallway.

Duo wasn't being modest, the apartment really wasn't much. There wasn't anything in the small space that didn't appear to be second hand, but it was clean, with very little clutter. A stack of books sat near the entrance of the small kitchen, while baby toys and a stroller filled a corner near the door. There were a few pictures that hung crooked on the walls, catching the dark haired teen's attention. His own cocky smirk looked back at him from one photograph, and he reached a finger to touch the grinning faces, but thought twice about touching Duo's things. The same photo hung on his own apartment wall, an image of himself and Duo just after the war.

"There's more pictures in those albums over there if you want to see them." A voice next to Wufei's ear startled him, making him spin nose to nose with Duo.

"Don't sneak up on me like that." Wufei growled, pulling slightly back in irritation. He hadn't heard Duo come back into the room; he was so deep in his own thoughts.

"Sorry, man. I thought you heard me. Can I get you anything?"

"I'm fine."

"I mean, you came all this way for practically nothing. It's the least I could do, ya know?" Duo frowned slightly, plopping himself heavily onto the small couch, only to stand up again to toss away the teething rings and rattle that he had sat on

"Maxwell, I came here because my friend needed me. I would hardly call that nothing. I will need to call Lady Une and Sally to let them know that I'll be staying here for a few days."

"You don't have to stay with me. Hell if I were you, I'd be catching a flight home by now."

"I'm not you, Maxwell. I came here because you needed someone. If you can't trust a fellow pilot to be there, who can you trust?" Wufei bit out curtly, taking a seat next to Duo, double checking make sure that he wouldn't get any surprises when he sat down.

"I thought I could trust Heero and the other guys, but he turned me away." Duo dropped his head into his hands, sighing heavily. He wasn't up to having this discussion right now. It would only upset him further, and he was already overwhelmed by all the emotions tumbling around his heart.

"Yuy's an asshole, but I'm sure you already knew that."

"Yeah, well, what do you expect from him anyway? I guess it's all right for you to stay. I have to work tomorrow and I have a few classes, so I won't be around to visit." The braided teen shrugged his shoulders, totally confused about the whole situation. Yeah, he was sad, angry and hurt, but he didn't need someone to baby-sit him. He would take things in stride, and get over it, as people would say. He still had Aleana didn't he?

"I'll be fine. I'm sure there are things around this town to occupy my time until you come back. Why don't you go to sleep? You need it, and you look like hell." Wufei gave a sharp tug on the long, messily braided hair.

"Yeah, after I take a shower, I think. I probably stink." Duo wrinkled his nose at the thought. Yes, he probably did stink to high heavens.

"Yes, but I was being polite by not bringing up your personal hygiene." Wufei smirked; ready to dodge anything that might have been thrown at him. Duo just retaliated by sticking out his tongue.

"Ok, Chang. I got your point. I guess you could sleep out here, but it's not very comfortable. You could sleep in my room, if you don't mind bunking with my ass again. Just be quiet. Aleana sleeps in the same room."

"This isn't a two bedroom?"

"Nope. Can't afford one of those, Wu. It was just me in the beginning, so there wasn't any need for a bigger place. There are some extra blankets in my room though, if you want to stay out here." And with that, Duo left the room, entering the small bathroom quietly, leaving Wufei alone once again.

"This isn't what I expected at all." Wufei blew out a sigh, looking around for the vid-phone he knew had to be in the apartment somewhere. He had some calls that he needed to make while Duo wasn't in the room. He didn't want to upset the teen any further than he already was.

Finding the vid-phone was somewhat of a challenge, but he found it under a carelessly tossed baby blanket. He sat himself down in the old, squeaky chair, trying to decide whom he should call first. On one hand, he needed to contact the Preventers and let them know where he was, but he also wanted to call L4, and let Heero know exactly what he thought of him at the moment.

Without really thinking about it, he dialed Heero's personal line, not caring what time it was on L4. It rang five times before the voice mail picked up.

"Yuy, it's Chang. You are a fucking bastard, do you know that? Don't even bother calling me back, you won't like to hear what I have to say to you." Wufei's voice was seething with anger, and he cut the connection as quickly as he had dialed it. He began dialing the familiar Preventers' number, but cut it off before pressing the last digit.

"Forget it, I'll tell Sally and Une in the morning." He wiped his hand over his face, the long, emotional hours that he'd spent with his friend finally crashing down on his system.

Deciding that it would be in his best interests to camp out on the small couch, Wufei crept silently down to the bedroom to get the extra blankets that Duo told him were there. There was a soft glow in the room from a small childish night-light that was plugged in near a small crib next to the double bed. He took a moment to peer down at the girl, her red curls mussed from sleep. He whispered a goodnight to her before grabbing the blankets off of the top of a dresser, and leaving the room before waking the baby.

He made it no further than the bathroom door when a noise made him stop and listen, his ears straining to hear beyond the spray of the shower on the other side of the thin door. His stomach fluttered at the sound of the heart wrenching sobs, the agonized wails that he knew Duo was trying so hard to smother. Duo had been so careful not to show his emotions from the moment Wufei had entered the waiting room. Now, behind the closed door, within the privacy of the shower, he was finally releasing all the anguish and pain he was feeling.

Wufei let out a shaky sigh as he closed his eyes, letting his forehead and hands rest against the bathroom door.

"I'm so very sorry, my friend."

_________________________________

Morning came faster than Duo expected. Aleana was up before his alarm clock went off, for the third time that week. Being the generally happy baby that she was, she had entertained herself with chewing on the corner of her blanket, giving Daddy some extra winks of sleep. Duo yawned, stretching briefly before throwing back the blankets in a tangled heap. He was not looking forward to this day at all. In between all his classes and work, he still had to make funeral arrangements for Miranda. Nothing fancy, he couldn't afford a lavish burial for a baby he hardly knew, but in the short time she'd lived with him, he'd come to love her with all of his heart.

"I swear I'm going to need a stiff drink soon." Duo mumbled, locating his sweatpants crumpled on the floor next to the bed. First things first, he had Aleana to get ready, and then himself.

"Good morning, Sunshine. I take it that the little bed bugs didn't bite last night?"

"Da!" She squealed, raising her arms to him to be lifted out of her crib.

"Da had a rough night, Sunshine. Let's get you changed, and you can go pester Uncle Wu." Duo scooped her up, patting her diapered behind as he left the bedroom.

Wufei was floating on the fringes of sleep, his mind semi-aware, but he was too comfortable to actually get up and start the day. Somewhere in the back of his mind, however, he knew he had to get up, and start making phone calls. Sally would be having a conniption if he didn't show up to work.

"Nice shorts, Wu. Here." Wufei was only given a few seconds warning before a light weight was plunked on his chest. Cracking his eyes open, he was greeted by bright green eyes, and a drooling smile.

"Duo? Why are you giving me the baby?" Wufei sat up with a sleepy, confused expression on his face, supporting Aleana with both hands around her waist. He had never dealt with children before, and in his tired state, he was certain that it was a bad idea for him to start now.

"I have to warm up some baby food and get her bottle made. You can hold her for just two minutes, can't ya?"

"Make it quick. I've never done this before."

"A virgin to child care, Wuffie? Well, I think it's time to break you in, then! What are you going to do when you get married, and have kids of your own?" Duo's question was partially muffled by cabinets closing, and the water running.

"I find that highly unlikely, as I'm not attracted to females in that way."

"Say what?" A pan clattered in the kitchen, before Duo's head peeked around the corner of the door.

"Don't tell me that you didn't understand that, Duo."

"Oh, no. I understood it perfectly. Just didn't know, that's all. See? You learn something new everyday."

"I don't have a sign that I carry that says _'Look, I'm gay'_."

"Well I don't have a sign that says _'I'm a gorgeous bisexual hunk'_. Maybe I should get one." Duo shrugged his shoulders, popping the lid off a small jar of applesauce for Aleana.

"I don't see you having much time to date." Wufei said, finally making his way into the kitchen, with Aleana drooling down the front of the white t-shirt that he had worn to sleep in.

"Maybe one day. Oh, sit her over there in her high chair and….shit!" Duo growled, the loud chime of the vid-phone interrupting his sentence.

"Want me to answer that?" Wufei asked, hoping that he could escape from the drool for a few moments.

"I got it. Just feed her some of that applesauce, would you? I'll be right back." He wiped his hands on a dishtowel, tossing it over his shoulder as he made his way to the desk.

As Wufei was getting his first experience with feeding a child by himself, Duo plunked himself down in front of the vid-phone, wondering who would be calling him at such an early hour. He was hoping it wasn't the hospital demanding money, or wanting to know where to send Miranda's body for funeral details. He snapped on the screen, surprised when he saw the smiling face of the blonde billionaire from L4.

"Quatre?"

"Hey, I just wanted to let you know that I was able to deposit some money into your account this morning. Should five grand cover you for a while?" Quat asked, taking a sip of his tea quickly.

"I could have used it yesterday, but better late than never." Duo answered, bowing his head to hide his eyes behind his fringe of bangs.

"Duo is something wrong? Did something happen?"

"I think you should talk with your lover about that, Quatre. He knows."

"Who knows? Trowa or Heero? Neither of them ever tell me anything!" Quatre huffed.

"Look, Quat. I really don't feel like talking right now. I have a ton of things that need to get done today, and sitting here discussing your lovers isn't going to help me get them done." Wufei chose that moment to raise his voice, muttering something in Mandarin, before coming around the corner with Aleana tucked in his arms, with applesauce covering almost every inch of her face and body.

"Wufei's there with you? What's going on?" The blonde asked, looking more and more confused by the minute.

"Ask him yourself. I have to go." Duo bolted from the chair, snagging the food-covered baby from Wufei as he passed.

"Damn it, Duo." The Chinese teen growled, wiping his hands on his already soiled shirt before sitting down to face Quatre.

"Winner." He greeted the blonde curtly, brushing back a few wisps of hair that had escaped the elastic of his ponytail.

"Wufei? What's going on down there? Why are you at Duo's? And what on Earth is all over your shirt?"

"You ask way too many questions."

Quatre rolled his eyes at his friend. "I just want to know what's going on! Is that a crime?"

"No it isn't. The way Yuy treated Duo when he called is what I would consider a crime."

Quatre let out an exasperated sigh. "Well, at least I know it's Heero that got you both all riled up! Now stop beating around the bush, and tell me what he did to piss you both off!"

"Two nights ago, Duo called you. Yuy answered the phone, but wouldn't allow Duo to converse with you."

"Heero never told me that Duo had called."

"I don't find that surprising. Duo called, urgently needing some money, but Yuy told him to _'deal with it'_ and hung up on him. That's why I'm here, now."

"Is Duo in some kind of trouble?"

"No. He had recently taken in an orphaned infant, who was rushed to the hospital. It seems that the doctors there would not treat her due to the fact that he had no insurance on her, and they thought he wouldn't be able to pay for the charges that would accumulate. The baby died last night, Quatre. I was with him when he turned off the last of the life support machines. I was with him when she took her last breath. They didn't even begin treating her until I arrived, and accepted responsibility for payment of her charges." The blonde gasped, tears welling up in his large blue eyes.

"I'm going to stay with Duo for a few days, to help him out. He's been through a lot in the past couple of days, and he needs to know that someone still cares about him."

"Is there anything I can do, Wufei? Would it help if I made the funeral arrangements for him?"

"No, I think that Duo needs to take care of them himself. It will help bring him closure. I can call you with the details when they are made, though. It would be nice if the three of you could come down. He could use all the support he can get, right now."

"Of course we'll be there. I'll see to arranging a shuttle to Earth tomorrow. Is there anything else you can think of?"

"Not at this time, Winner. Although, might I suggest that Yuy doesn't answer your calls from now on?"

Quatre swallowed harshly, nodding his head at his friend. "I'll speak to him. Please tell Duo that I'm truly sorry about what happened. I had no idea. Please, give Duo my love."

"I will."

"Thank you, Wufei. Goodbye."

"Goodbye." The dark haired teen turned off the screen, leaning back in the chair with a sigh.

"Just what Duo needed to deal with today." He whispered to himself, before putting his call through to Preventers Headquarters. 

It took Duo some time, but he was finally able to get his emotions under control as he gave the squealing, splashing baby a bath. He had felt the heaviness creeping back into his chest, settling over his heart, but knew that he couldn't afford to let his heartache overwhelm him today. He had far too many things to get done, with little time to do them in. He felt lucky to have Wufei with him; the support of a friend was very welcome in hard times. He wasn't sure he'd have been able to face another day without the calming influence of Wufei's compassion. He almost didn't recognize this mature, supportive man as the boy who could be so arrogant, and self centered when they first met. He was torn from his thoughts by the tapping on the other side of the bathroom door.

"Duo? Is everything ok in there?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." He answered. He wanted to tell his friend that he was doing much better since he had arrived, but didn't want to seem too needy.

"Do you need any help?"

"Naaa, I've got it all covered." He said, as he pulled the plug on the baby tub, draining the water.

"Ok. I'll leave you alone to finish."

"Hey, Wu?"

"Yes?"

"Thanks for being here, man. I really appreciate it."

"Anytime, Duo. Any time you need me, I'll be here." The last words were whispered so softly, that Duo never heard it.


	4. Life loves a tragedy part 3

We do not own the rights to GW! Never have and never will!

Warnings: Angst, language, slight OOC

Archived at: AFF, MM, and www.templeofthegoddess.com

Part three of 'Life loves a tragedy' by Sparkling Diamond PG-SSM & Saiyajin_Raven69

Quatre stalked down the corridors of Winner Enterprises' headquarters, the intense look on the young CEO's face causing employees to skitter out of his way. He was a man on a mission, and nothing was going to stand in his way as he confronted one of his lovers.

Trowa had just arrived at the building, having an hour free before his first class started. He hoped he could spend his time with at least one of his lovers; both if he were lucky. Upon opening the doors, he caught sight of the blonde Arabian, storming through the main lobby.

"On second thought, I could always grab something to eat before classes." The tall acrobat mumbled to himself, turning back to escape through the large glass doors.

"Trowa Barton, you hold it right there!" Quatre's voice boomed through the atrium, making his taller lover stop in his tracks.

"Shit. Almost got away, too." Trowa whispered to himself before forcing a small smile onto his lips, and turning to face his irate partner.

"Something wrong, Quatre?"

"I could ask you the same thing. Trying to avoid me for some reason?" The blonde crossed his arms and glared up into startled green eyes, his posture and expression screaming that he was close to going 'Zero system' on someone.

"No! I just forgot something in the car." Trowa jabbed a thumb toward the parking lot, hoping that his quickly made up excuse would be enough to ensure his escape.

"Lying is very unbecoming of you, Trowa." Quatre scolded, poking his index finger angrily into a muscular chest. "Where is Heero? Is he hiding from me, also?"

"Ow! That hurt!" Trowa frowned, as he rubbed the spot that the blonde had jabbed. "Why do you think that there is a conspiracy to hide from you today? When have I ever avoided you?

"Has Heero talked with you about Duo, lately?" Quatre demanded, ignoring Trowa's question. His aquamarine eyes were flashing with indignation as he scanned every face in the busy atrium, looking for the object of his fury.

"He mentioned in passing yesterday that Duo had called, but said it wasn't anything important. I just figured it had something to do with the conversation you had with him the other day."

"That son of a bitch!" Quatre clenched his hands, the forgotten reports he was holding being crumpled in his grip. He pinned Trowa with a piercing blue glare, turning to stomp his way toward the security department down the hall.

"Since you're obviously not doing anything, I suggest you put in a request to have my shuttle ready to leave by 9 p.m.. We're going to Earth." The blonde tossed the comment angrily over his shoulder, disappearing around a corner. Trowa blew out a breath he didn't know he was holding. Something had really pissed his blonde lover off, and by the sound of it, matters were only going to get worse.

_____________________________

It had been two hours since Duo had left the small apartment, and Wufei found himself feeling agitated. He felt the need to do something constructive; he wasn't the type to remain stationary all day long. He had noticed when he was in the kitchen with Duo that morning, that while there was plenty of formula and baby food, the cupboards were almost bare, and the refrigerator was empty of anything to cook a decent meal with. He knew that Duo would neglect his own needs to make sure that the girls were well fed and cared for, and he obviously hadn't been taking care of himself properly.

"I don't think he would mind if I cooked for him." He said to himself as he gave a nod of his head, picking up the house key that Duo had given him. He wasn't sure when to expect the braided teen home, but figured he had at least a few hours to grab some groceries from a nearby store.

The area Duo lived in wasn't the slums, but it wasn't far from it. Mostly low-income apartment buildings populated the area, with small Mom and Pop stores on the corners. He shook his head as he surveyed his ramshackle surroundings, sighing as he thought about the state of his friend's life. Wufei was not a rich man, by far, but he had been able to put a good amount of his salary from the Preventers in the bank, saving for the proverbial _'Rainy Day'_ that would no doubt come along.

There was a small shopping center about six blocks from Duo's apartment complex, and Wufei felt that the walk might help him to clear his mind. A path was made for him on the sidewalk as people stepped aside as the teen passed, many looking at him nervously, some seeming prepared to run. He was puzzled by the reactions he was getting from the inhabitants of the neighborhood, until he realized that he was wearing his Preventers jacket. He smirked inwardly, knowing it was probably not a good idea to walk the streets intimidating everyone in sight, but in his haste to leave, he did not pack many clothes. He hadn't expected to be here very long. As he packed, he had only planned to relieve Duo of his distress, and then go back to his own life. Now, however, he found that he really didn't want to leave his friend too soon. 

____________________________________________________________________

Considering the consequences he might face if he turned tail and ran for the exit, Trowa sighed and followed Quatre. His curiosity of what Heero could have done to make the blonde so angry, and the thought that he just might be needed to break up a fist fight after Quatre unleashed his fury on their other lover made the tall boy quicken his steps. He had just turned the corner as Quatre threw the security department's door wide open, slamming it against the wall so hard that he was surprised the glass didn't break.

Inside the main security office, startled guards gaped in confusion as the owner of the company charged into the room. He immediately stormed into the only office inside the department, belonging to Head Security Chief, Heero Yuy.

"I think it would be a wise idea for everyone to leave." Trowa suggested, standing quietly against the wall until the last guard left the room. He secured the door tightly before going to the small office on the other side of the room. From the note of outrage in Quatre's raised voice, he knew that this argument wouldn't have a pretty outcome.

"Why in Allah's name didn't you tell me that Duo had tried contacting me the other night? Did it ever occur to you that something was wrong?" Heero looked up from his reports at the ranting blonde, eyes narrowing when Duo's name was mentioned.

"All he wanted was money, or the use of your name. I didn't see the need to wake you for something so petty."

"Petty? Petty?" Quatre slammed his hands down on the desk, his temper burning brightly in his eyes. Heero remained motionless, his expression saying nothing.

"Yes, petty. He needs to learn to take care of himself, not just expect you to come to his rescue every time he runs out of money."

"Son of a bitch!" The smack of Quatre's open hand against the side of his face happened so fast, Heero was more shocked by the sound than the pain that accompanied it.

"You're the petty one, Heero! A child _died_ because of you and your damn grudge against Duo! An innocent baby lost her life because of you!"

"So that's what he meant by that." It was nothing more than a mere whisper, but Quatre heard it, and his anger blazed even higher.

"You knew? You knew that a child's life was hanging in the balance, yet you just ignored it?" Quatre all but spat the words in disgust, his face twisting in fury. "Damn you, Heero Yuy! I don't know if I can ever forgive you for that!"

Trowa stood in the doorway, flabbergasted by what was being revealed. He hadn't seen his blonde lover so furious since the wars. He dashed across the small office in an attempt to catch Quatre as he leapt over the desk at his other lover. Punches flew between the two, a few of them connected, before he could haul the combative teen away from Heero.

"Quatre!" Trowa shouted as he tried to subdue the hostile blonde. "Damn it, Quatre! Calm down."

"No! Let me go, Trowa! Let me go, now!" The blonde shrieked, kicking his legs to gain some footing in attempt to get himself out of his taller lover's grasp.

"I thought that he was exaggerating again! How was I supposed to know that there was something seriously wrong?" Heero said indignantly, wiping a trickle of blood from his split lower lip.

"Duo never lies! You of all people should know that he would never lie to us. Never!" Quatre roared, finally twisting his way free of Trowa's restraining embrace.

"He did to me!" Heero shouted, spinning on his heel to face Quatre. His deep blue eyes shimmered with long suppressed pain. "He lied to me when he said that he would love me forever. He does lie, Quatre." 

"That's why you denied him? You turned your back on a friend in his hour of need, because he broke your heart two fucking years ago? Damn it! Do you know how that makes us all look?" Quatre bellowed in exasperation. "By Allah, I love you, Heero, but you have to realize that things just didn't work out between you and Duo. You have Trowa and me, now…I just…"

"I'm sorry, Quatre." Heero closed his eyes, and hung his head.

"Well, sorry isn't going to heal his broken heart right now. Sorry won't bring that innocent baby back to him. It's not good enough, Heero!" Quatre lowered himself heavily into the chair behind him, his anger having died out, leaving him emotionally drained.

"Wufei will be calling sometime this afternoon with the details of the funeral. I told him to expect all of us to be there."

"I'm not going." Heero crossed his arms petulantly across his broad chest; his eyes gazing at the floor. Trowa sighed, preparing to restrain his blonde lover once again.

"Not only _are_ you going, Heero, but you will apologize to Duo for not helping him. I mean it!" Quatre stood abruptly, and stomped out of the office, leaving both of his lovers behind.

Heero shook his head, stuffing his hands into his pockets. Trowa remained silent, still a bit confused by what had happened, debating with himself whom he should side with. He knew that Heero had been wrong to deny Duo like that, especially since it had resulted in the death of a baby, but he also understood that Heero had reacted with his heart, not his head. He knew the pain that the blue-eyed boy still felt, two years after Duo had broken off their relationship. He found it hard to fault him for following his emotions.

"This just isn't my day." Trowa whispered, slipping out of the office to make sure the shuttle would be ready for their departure in nine hours.

________________________________________________________________________

Wufei was walking back to Duo's apartment when he spotted a small clothing boutique that he had noticed on his way to the supermarket. The small shop stood out from the surrounding store fronts like a gleaming jewel in a junk heap. The brick and frame façade had been painted in cheery pastels, and the window display featured a family of mannequins with happy expressions, dressed in clothing far too fine for the neighborhood the store was located in.

A bell chimed softly as he entered the small, but attractively laid out store, calling forth a small, older woman from behind a tall rack of evening gowns. She peered at him over the tiny spectacles balanced on the tip of her nose, before swiftly scurrying across the sales floor to greet him.

"Is there something I can do for you today, young sir?" She asked, obviously eyeing his jacket. Wufei could almost hear the gears turning in her head, wondering what would bring a Preventers agent into her boutique.

"Yes, actually. I'm in need of two dresses."

"Dresses?" She sputtered up at him. That was clearly not the response she had expected from the handsome young peace keeper.

Wufei fought against rolling his eyes at her, and made a mental note to always pack an extra civilian jacket when he traveled from now on.

"Yes, I need dresses for two little girls, and they must be appropriate for a funeral."

"Oh, of course!" She said, as she hustled to a rack of ruffled dresses in the girls' department. "What sizes do you need?"

"I'm sorry, but I really don't know. The oldest is approximately eight months old."

"Well then, we'll need to go to infants." She shooed Wufei across the aisle to a round rack of much smaller clothing. "Here's what you're looking for. How old is the younger baby?"

"She's one month."

"Just a month old?" The saleswoman tsked at Wufei. "Isn't she a little young to be taken to a funeral?"

"It's her funeral." The young agent replied softly.

The startled clerk gasped, turning her head quickly to look at the quiet teenager. "I'm sure I have something special for her."

________________________________________________________________________

Duo didn't fare well at school or work, his mind was a million miles away. He couldn't recall any of the topics covered in his classes, and he sure as hell didn't remember clocking in or out at the café either. Now, he stood in a showroom surrounded by coffins, listening to a salesman sing the praises of each model. Duo couldn't fathom why people needed such fancy boxes to be laid to rest in, considering that no one would see it again once it was lowered into the ground at the cemetery.

"This one is two thousand credits, sir." The insincere salesman said with a phony smile.

"Two thousand?" Duo choked, wiggling his little finger in his ear. He was sure he didn't hear the price correctly.

"Yes, sir."

"Don't you have anything cheaper? I'm working on a very limited budget here."

"Don't you want the best for your daughter, sir?" The man did his best to make Duo feel like he was on the Guilt Trip from Hell. He did want something nice for Miranda, but how could he possibly afford something that expensive, and still have enough money to pay the bills? Surely he was too young to take out a small loan, and he sure as hell wasn't going to call Quatre again for any reason.

"Let me think about it. I'll be back later." Duo jammed his hands into his pockets, exiting the store quickly.

"Maybe I have something I can pawn for money." He whispered to himself, as he scuffed his boots on the concrete, taking his time on the way back to his apartment. He hoped that Aleana would be in a good mood when he picked her up at the sitter's, and that Wufei wouldn't be too upset at having been left alone all day.

_____________________________________________________

Wufei turned the key in the lock, and opened the apartment door. He was greeted with the sight of Aleana sitting on a blanket in the middle of the floor, happily surrounded by toys, but he saw no sign of Duo.

He went into the kitchen to deposit his shopping bags on the counter, and he draped his jacket over the back of a chair, before returning to the baby in the next room.

"Hey, baby doll. Where's your Daddy?" He asked, squatting down to her level. She grinned up at him, waving her arms.

"Da! Da!"

"Ok, but I'll only pick you up if you promise not to cover me in your food again." He received a two-toothed smile, her chubby arms still waving wildly.

"I'm going to take that as a yes, hmmm?" He hoisted her up, balancing her on his hip as he had seen Duo do that morning.

"Ok, let's find your Daddy."

It was all quiet in the kitchen, and the bathroom door was wide open, so the only other place to look was the bedroom. As Wufei entered, the chaos that greeted him made him take a step back. It looked as if a hurricane had whipped through, leaving nothing untouched.

"Duo?" Wufei squeaked, as he took another step back; hurriedly covering Aleana's head as a tennis shoe came flying from the closet.

"Shit, Wufei! Make some noise or something, man! Scared the crap out of me." Duo emerged from the closet, wide eyed and holding a hand to his chest.

"I was afraid that something had happened, Aleana was alone in the living room."

"Stinker butt was sleeping when I came in here." Duo sighed, taking the babbling redhead from the other teen. "Man, she had a powernap, and that means another long night!"

"What exactly are you doing in here? I've never seen such a mess!" The Chinese teen said, as he shuffled his feet through the piles of clothing and shoes on the floor, before seating himself on the equally cluttered bed.

"Sure you have Wuffers! I've made bigger messes in Deathscythe."

Wufei raised an eyebrow, surveying the room again. "I disagree. What are you doing ripping this room apart?"

"Nothing. Isn't that right, Aleana? You tell Uncle Wu that Daddy's not doing anything!" Duo cooed, tickling the girl in his arms.

"Nice try at a diversion. Now spill it."

"Fine." Duo sighed, plopping down next to Wufei on the bed. "I was looking for something to pawn."

"Pawn? Duo, didn't Winner just deposit money into your account? What do you need more money for?"

"Look, 'Fei. I don't even want to use that money, after everything that happened. I've got some old text books, the medal of peace that Relena gave us all, and I don't really use my laptop much anymore. Those things should bring something." Duo sighed again, scrubbing his hands over his face wearily. "Like Heero said, I have to deal with it on my own."

Wufei shifted on the bed, drawing one leg up to turn and face his friend. 

"That's what friends do at a time like this, Duo; friends help you 'deal with it'." He said with conviction. "You'll never have to go through something like this alone. No one should."

"Yeah, well someone should tell that to asshole, then. God, I was so afraid to…" Duo hesitated, rocking Aleana in his arms, his eyes darting around the room, desperate to avoid Wufei's dark gaze.

"Just forget about it, Wu. I really don't wanna talk about it right now."

Not wanting to agitate Duo further, the Chinese teen didn't push for an answer, and thought it best to change the subject.

"Would you accept a gift from me to the girls?"

"That depends, what did you do?" Duo turned on the bed, mirroring Wufei's position, and cocked an eyebrow suspiciously at his friend.

"Don't look at me like that; I didn't do much. I just bought them dresses for Miranda's services."

Duo dropped his head, and clutched the baby in his arms tighter.

"God, Wu. I didn't even think about that." He raised his eyes to look at the other teen, despair shining clearly in their depths. "There's just so much left to do."

The braided boy closed his eyes tightly, visibly shoring up his resolve, then stood abruptly and walked toward the door.

"I'll write you a check for them, Wu. Just don't cash it for awhile, ok?" He said, as he headed out of the bedroom.

"I told you they were a gift. I don't expect you to pay me for them."

Duo put Aleana back onto her blanket, and turned to go into the small kitchen, closely followed by Wufei. He spied the shopping bags on the counter, and looked at his friend curiously.

"Wu? What is all of this stuff?" He asked, as he started looking through the plastic supermarket bags.

"What does it look like?" He rolled his eyes in mock exasperation. "And here I thought you had to be smart to get into college."

"Don't be a smart ass, Wu. I'm not in the mood for it." Duo growled, pulling item after item out of the bags.

Wufei began taking the food from the counter, and putting it away in the cabinets and refrigerator, silently pleased with himself for having found a way to help his friend. He was stunned by the unexpected reaction.

Duo snatched the bag of lettuce from his hands, and threw it onto the floor. His face was a picture of rage, and his hands were clenching and unclenching angrily.

"Bastard!" He spat. "Why did you have to go buy food when I've got plenty here?"

Wufei looked at his irate friend, his dark eyes widened in astonishment. "What food?" He gestured to the glaring emptiness of the refrigerator, the shelves bare but for a couple bottles of soda, some ketchup and mayonnaise, and two half empty jars of baby food.

"You call this fully stocked?"

"What I call this is none of your fucking business, Wu!" Duo shouted, slamming the refrigerator door. "How dare you do this to me?"

Duo's anger was contagious, as Wufei felt his own temper rising. He stomped over to the cabinets, throwing open two doors at once.

"Do what to you? Make sure you take care of yourself?" He said incredulously. "Look at this! All you have in these cupboards is baby food, and cans of formula!"

"Yeah, that's right. As long as my girls are fed, that's all that matters!"

"But what about you, Maxwell?" Wufei's anger caused him to unconsciously revert to calling his friend by his last name. "How can you care for them properly if you collapse from not eating?"

"Don't start with me, Chang. You won't like the way I finish it." He threatened, his voice low and menacing.

"You have nothing here to sustain you, Duo. I saw that as a problem that I could fix, so I did."

"I eat at work! Why the hell do you think I work at a goddamned coffee shop?"

"You can't survive on danishes and coffee for the rest of your life!"

"I'm FINE!" Duo screamed. "I am not your little charity project, Wufei! Stop treating me like I am!"

"Charity?" Wufei sputtered. "Charity? Is that why you think I'm here? Because I pity you? You've got a hell of a lot to learn about friendship if that's what you think!"

"I ate out of garbage cans when I was a kid, Wu. I can make it on what I have available. As long as I'm still kicking, everything's fine! Now get the fuck off my back!"

Duo stormed out of the kitchen, snatching up a whimpering Aleana from the floor, and stalked to the bedroom, slamming the door behind him.

"Fine, I will!" Wufei grabbed his jacket, putting it on angrily. He stopped long enough to toss the cold items into the refrigerator before heading out the front door.

Once he hit street level, he started walking aimlessly, not even noticing the neighborhood inhabitants clearing out of his way. He was immensely more intimidating when he was angry.

He couldn't stay in the apartment with Duo for one minute longer, the way he was acting. Wufei had just tried to do something nice for him, and he just had to be a stubborn, pig-headed bastard about it. He hoped that giving Duo some space would give them both the opportunity to cool down.

________________________________________________________________________

The last of the suitcases were packed, and garment bags hung over the back of the dressing chair. Quatre was bustling around, double checking that he had everything he'd need for their trip, before leaving for the shuttle port.

Trowa sat on the bed, watching through his bangs as his blonde lover carried the bags to just outside of the bedroom door for the servants to take down to the waiting limo. Since the argument at the company that morning, Quatre had not spoken two words to either Heero or himself. Heero had gone into hiding, avoiding both Quatre and Trowa at every turn.

"Would you please make sure that Heero has finished packing?" Quatre asked in a tired voice.

Trowa blinked in surprise, turning faintly to see Quatre raking his fingers through his tousled blonde hair. He could practically feel the stress rolling off of his lover.

"Sure." Trowa answered, moving fluidly from the room.

Heero's private room was dark, the door standing wide open. Either he had already packed, and was downstairs waiting, or he had escaped to somewhere that no one would find him. If the latter was the case, Trowa wished that he could join his darker lover in his sanctuary, as he was not looking forward to the trip that they were about to embark on.

"I'm already packed." A voice sounded behind the tall ex-pilot, startling him slightly.

"Good. I was not planning on taking the wrath of Quatre by myself."

"I made a mistake." Heero said flatly. "I need to make it right."

"That's one tall order, Heero. I don't think even you could make things right this time."

"If you two are done chatting, we have to leave for the shuttle port. I would like to see Duo as soon as possible." Quatre spoke from down the hall, his voice laced with the subtle hint of anger behind the words. "Wufei just called. Duo is planning on pawning his things, and I don't want to see that happen."

"After you." Heero said, picking up his bag. He was not going to get close to Quatre until his temper had cooled off.

________________________________________________________________________

It was after dark when Wufei made his way back up the stairs of the apartment building, hoping that Duo had cooled down. He bowed his head, feeling guilty that he had gotten so angry earlier. He had no right to do so, but he felt that he did have the right to worry about a friend.

The Chinese teen thumbed the key in his hand, debating if he should just enter, or knock first. Things sounded quiet from the outside, so he tried the knob, finding the door unlocked. He raised an eyebrow, as the door swung open. It wasn't like Duo just to leave doors unlocked.

"Duo?" He called into the darkened room.

"I didn't expect you to come back." A timid voice answered him from the vicinity of the couch. A small lamp snapped on, illuminating the small living room. Duo sat on the couch, his hair hanging loosely over his shoulders, knees drawn up to his chest, looking for all the world like a very young boy.

"You know, I went and looked at caskets?" Duo sniffled a little, lifting his eyes to seek out his friend. "They were so small, 'Fei. So damn tiny, and so expensive. I still have to get a grave marker and a plot. I still haven't even picked a funeral home. I'm too young to be doing something like this, ya know?"

Wufei stood stock still, listening, his eyes meeting those of Duo. Just the sight of the forlorn boy made his heart ache once again. 

"Just so small, Wu." He whispered. "I don't think I can do this by myself."

Wufei nodded, crossing the small room to sit next to him on the small, worn sofa.

"As I said before, you don't have to do this alone, Duo. I'll always be here for you."

Shimmering pools of blue-violet blinked, one tear escaping to roll slowly down a pale cheek.

"Help."

With that one word, Wufei's heart broke. He reached his arms out, grabbing up the other teen in a comforting embrace.


	5. Life loves a tragedy part 4

We do not own the rights to GW! Never have and never will!

Warnings: Angst, language, slight OOC

Archived at: AFF, MM, and www.templeofthegoddess.com

Help feed the muses...leave a review!

Part four of 'Life loves a tragedy' by Sparkling Diamond PG-SSM & Saiyajin_Raven69

It was just before dawn when the shuttle's landing gear was lowered in preparation to touch down on the tarmac in California. The luxurious cabin had been quiet since take off, the three young men each keeping to himself on the long flight.

Quatre spent the majority of the flight going through reports that he had hastily stuffed into his briefcase. Work seemed to follow him everywhere, and he often took files that needed his attention on shuttle flights, not only to keep on top of things at his company, but also to keep his mind busy. He often found his thoughts wandering to his long-haired friend, though. He could only hope that when they arrived at Duo's apartment, they would find that the braided boy was coping well. He also hoped that Wufei had talked Duo out of pawning his belongings. Quatre made up his mind that his first mission of the day was to make sure that Duo was all right, before heading to the hospital that had been in charge of the care of the baby. He planned on making life very difficult for them.

Trowa chose to watch his lovers from behind the camouflage of his bangs. Quatre was doing exactly what he'd expected him to do, immersing himself in business dealings, so that his anger wouldn't flare. The acrobat could see the control that his smaller lover was keeping on his emotions slip every so often, as pale blue eyes became unfocused from the papers in front of him, and stared at nothing, pale brows furrowed above them in frustration. He knew that it wasn't what was typed on the company letterhead that caused those frowns.

Heero, on the other hand, sat away from them, his arms crossed and his eyes closed. Trowa knew that although his lids were closed, he wasn't asleep; he was thinking of what lay ahead on this trip, and was probably formulating an escape plan in the event that Duo's grief gave way to rage, and he attempted to bring him bodily harm. His jaw muscles were tense, and Trowa bemusedly wondered if any teeth were in danger of breaking.

Trowa himself was still torn over the events of the day. Deep in his heart, he understood why Heero had done what he did. Every one of them had hoped Duo would learn to make it on his own, and not lean so heavily on Quatre for money or support, but letting an innocent baby suffer and die because Heero refused to listen to him, it was wrong. Trowa had thought that his Asian lover was over the grudge he'd held against Duo since their relationship had gone sour, but obviously he had thought wrong.

Heero didn't need to see to know what his two companions were doing; it was always the same when they'd had a lovers' spat. Each of the three kept to himself until they finally, as one, came together to resolve the issue, but this was one situation that wasn't likely to be easily overcome. He'd made an unforgivable mistake, and now he was going to have to pay the price for it. Heero had briefly considered running away, staying out everyone's path until the incident blew over, but he knew that it really wasn't an option. This one mistake would haunt him until the end of his days, and avoiding his lovers would only make matters worse.

His anger toward Duo had not waned over the two years since the braided teen had ended their relationship. At the time, Heero had no idea that what they shared wasn't the ideal romantic partnership. His understanding of love, of any of the tender emotions, was meager at best. When Duo had first said those words to him, he was thunderstruck. He'd never imagined in his wildest dreams that anyone would ever care about him, let alone profess love. Admittedly, it took him a long time to reconcile his disbelieving mind with his soaring heart, but when he did finally respond to Duo, he pledged his everlasting devotion to the braided boy.

Evidently, Duo wasn't satisfied with the relationship. After what Heero had thought was a happy 14 months together, the American abruptly packed his belongings, and disappeared to Earth. He rushed off without explanation, and he left no way for Heero to contact him. It wasn't until Quatre and Trowa had brought him into their fold, still confused and hurting, did he find out where the ex-Deathscythe pilot was, and what he was doing. Duo had called Quatre several months after Heero had last seen him, and begged the billionaire for money to make his rent. Quatre sent the money, no questions asked. The ex-pilot of Wing was disturbed by how easily his smaller lover had given in to the man that had so completely crushed him only months before. That was the first of several lovers' spats between the two that had been spurred by Quatre's ongoing friendship with Duo.

_______________________________________________________________________

"We will be landing in five minutes, Mr. Winner. Your vehicle is ready and waiting." The pilot's voice cut through the cabin. Quatre was first in packing away his things, and double-checking his safety belt.

"We're going to Duo's first thing." Quat announced, drawing the attention of two sets of eyes.

"It's fairly early here, Quat. Don't you think we should get settled first, and see him later?" Trowa asked, bringing his seat upright.

"No. I will feel better once I talk with Duo, in person. No arguments." The blonde growled, almost daring either of his lovers to convince him otherwise. Neither did.

______________________________________________________________________

The soft sounds of crying woke Duo in the early morning hours. His brain was still too heavily fogged with sleep to notice that he was not in the comfort of his own bed, but in the comfort of a warm pair of arms that were wrapped firmly around his waist and chest.

"Mmm, wha?" Duo stretched, his hands brushing against the smooth planes of Wufei's chest before he jerked away in shock.

"Shit! I'm sorry, 'Fei." Duo gasped, lifting himself the rest of the way off of his friend. Wufei blinked sleepily up at his friend, fighting a groan for the loss of heat that Duo provided. The braided teen frowned when Wufei's jacket tumbled to the floor, slipping from around his shoulders. He didn't remember falling asleep, and he sure as hell didn't remember curling up with Wufei on the old worn couch.

"Sorry." Duo said again, a blush staining his cheeks as he swiftly turned, leaving the room to find out why Aleana was crying so early in the morning. Wufei blinked again, not sure what Duo was apologizing for.

Last night, he had come back to the apartment to find Duo an emotional wreck, sitting curled up in the darkness. He had quietly confided that he was afraid that the dark haired teen wouldn't return after their fallout. He called Hilde on L2, asking for advice on how he should handle all that was happening, and she came through for him, after she had first called him every name in the book for not having called her before. He had always loved her like the sister he'd never had, and hadn't wanted to trouble her with his problems, knowing that she had plenty of her own

Wufei wasn't a man of that knew much about comforting, but he did his best, letting Duo sob against his chest like a hurting child, listening to the hitching voice as he spoke about everything that seemed to be eating him alive. As the tears soaked the front of his shirt, Wufei continued to rub Duo's back, stroking his loose hair soothingly to calm him. Before he knew it, Duo was sleeping soundly, emotionally and physically drained. The other teen didn't have the heart to wake him to send him to his room to sleep, so he adjusted himself into a comfortable position with Duo lying across his chest, and he draped his jacket over his shoulders to keep him from getting chilled. He knew that come morning, there could be some embarrassment, but at that moment, he really didn't care.

Cursing to himself about the wretched hour he'd been jostled awake at, Wufei decided it was probably for the best to stay awake. With so many arrangements still to be made, he would hate himself later if he went back to sleep. He planned to take as many responsibilities from Duo's shoulders as he could, and there was the arrival of their fellow pilots to prepare for. 

"Hey, Wu? Could you hold Aleana for a minute? I have to warm up a bottle for her. I'm afraid that I didn't give her enough to eat before she went to bed." Duo frowned, the threads of guilt creeping up on him.

"Sure." The dark haired teen extended his arms, lifting the sniffling red head out of Duo's arms. Watery green eyes stared at the man in front of her, before she let out another loud wail. Wufei cringed; trying to decide which way would be easier for him to hold the crying girl.

"And here I thought that you liked me." Wufei smirked, lifting her against his chest, rubbing her back as he walked around the small living room.

Duo rushed around the kitchen, mixing the powder formula, while he boiled water on the stove to warm the bottle with. He was mentally kicking himself for not having at least a few bottles ready for Aleana in the refrigerator.

"Almost done, give me two minutes." Duo spoke loudly, trying to let both Wufei and Aleana know that he wasn't slacking off, while he shook the bottle one last time before dropping it into the pan to heat.

Wufei was on his fifth lap of the living room when a light knock caught his attention. He raised an eyebrow, checking his watch once again. Who the hell would be visiting at quarter to seven in the morning? Working one hand free, Wufei opened the door, the safety chain stopping the door from opening all the way. Quatre's solemn expression greeted him.

"What are you doing here at this time of the morning?" Wufei hissed, switching Aleana to his other arm.

"Can I come in? I did come all the way from L4." Wufei nodded, unchaining the door, and opening it wider to let the blonde in. What he didn't expect to see was Trowa leaning against the far wall of the hallway, and Heero a short distance away from him.

"Quatre, I don't think it's a wise idea for Heero to be here." Wufei's eyes narrowed, staring down the chocolate haired teen. "Especially not around me." Heero met that gaze, but quickly bowed his head, knowing full well that he would have Wufei's wrath to deal with.

"He needs to apologize for his actions, Wufei. That's why he is here." Quatre answered curtly, entering the small apartment to seek out his other friend.

"I thought I heard voices…Quatre?" Duo stopped midway from the kitchen, bottle in hand. His eyes widened with disbelief as the blonde teen rushed towards him, wrapping him up in a warm embrace.

"I'm so sorry, Duo. I'm so sorry." Quatre whispered, his arms tightening around his friend, the anger he'd been harboring for almost 24 hours finally giving way to the myriad of emotions he felt coming from Duo. It made his chest physically ache.

"I wasn't expecting you. Why? I mean…" Duo stumbled, his body starting to quake with a wave of relief. He honestly hadn't expected to see Quatre again, at least not for a while. He had been afraid that the other two pilots would turn their backs on him, after what had happened with Heero. The knowledge that at least Quatre hadn't forsaken him overwhelmed him with happiness.

"I had to be here, Duo. A fleet of Gundams couldn't have kept me away." The blonde choked, his voice thick with remorse. "Are you ok? Damn it, Duo, I'm so very sorry."

"I was going to pawn my things." Duo whispered, burying his head into Quatre's shoulder. "I didn't want to use the money that you sent." His voice hitched slightly, but he reined in his emotions once again, trying to keep the old 'cheer' mask in place. Quatre pulled the longhaired teen away, looking into those blue-violet eyes.

"Don't you dare. Don't you dare sell your things, Duo! I feel responsible for most of this, and I want to make amends. Do you understand? We left as soon as we could. I wasn't going to wait for Wufei's call."

While Quatre was consoling Duo, Trowa entered the apartment, eyeing the room before settling his gaze on the small girl in Wufei's arms. He was mildly surprised when the baby looked up, her green eyes so much like his own locking with his. In that moment, he fully understood why Duo couldn't turn her away. Trowa himself couldn't bear to part with any of his strays that he saved by bringing home to his own private zoo, as the staff members were prone to call it. How could anyone look at that cherubic face, and hand her over to the custody of an infamously inadequate government agency?

Heero walked in on silent feet, staying as far away from Duo as possible. He hadn't seen his ex-lover since the day he had run out of his life, just days after the Mariemaia incident ended. Even after all that time, and all the love and understanding he'd received from Trowa and Quatre, the sight of Duo still made his heart hurt. He couldn't bring himself to look at the braided teen for long. Just being in his presence was bad enough, but the aura of despair that surrounded the boy; the emotion in his voice, and the grief stricken expression on his face made the ache that he felt so much more intense. All the hatred and animosity that he'd felt toward his ex-lover seemed to turn inward; even though Duo had caused him more pain than self-destructing Wing had, the knowledge that it was his own fault that the braided boy was suffering now made him angry with himself.

Looking around the apartment made him see things differently than the images that his resentment-clouded mind had conjured up for him. The furniture, what there was of it, was obviously second hand, he could find nothing frivolous anywhere in the room. He had long imagined that Duo's need for money came from reckless spending, and his vision of how the boy must have been living was shattered by the poor surroundings. His eyes finally settled on the small girl that squirmed in Wufei's arms. He closed his eyes, letting out a long slow breath. There would have been two babies here if it weren't for his denial of Duo's pleas the other night. He realized that he'd been taking for granted the security that came with having Quatre as his lover; he and Trowa had no worries about money. Wufei made a good salary with Preventers to keep himself afloat, but Duo? Gods, Duo.

"What the hell is he doing here?" Heero's eyes snapped opened, and landed on Duo, who was detangling himself from Quatre's embrace.

"I came to…"

"Get out!" The braided teen bellowed. "I don't want you here! I didn't invite you…you asshole!" He stalked his way around the couch before Quatre caught up to him, wrapping his arms around the teen's waist to stop him. Wufei stepped back, tightening his hold on Aleana. He didn't want the baby to be in the line of fire if the situation got ugly.

"Yuy, I think it would be wise for you to leave." Wufei interjected, hoping that Heero would just leave before Duo got too worked up by his presence.

Heero ignored the Chinese teen, his eyes still focused on his ex-lover, struggling to break free from Quatre's grasp.

"Will you listen to me? I want to apologize for…" Heero began, his voice as emotionless as it always was.

"I don't give a fuck what you have to say! You are not welcome here, period! Get out god damn you!"

"Still fucking stubborn." Heero snapped. "Fine, I'm leaving." He turned on his heels quickly to leave, the door slamming behind him. Aleana screeched, fat tears rolling down her face, terrified by all the shouting. Duo was there immediately, scooping her out of Wufei's arms, bouncing her and rubbing her back to calm her. 

Trowa stood perplexed; he was warring with himself, one part wanting to stay in the small apartment, to show his support of his distraught friend, the other part wanting to run after Heero, fearing that he would do something stupid. Making up his mind swiftly, Trowa moved around his blonde lover, and gently wrapped his arms around Duo and Aleana.

"I'm sorry, Duo." He whispered, and placed a light kiss on the braided boy's temple as he pulled away. He caught Quatre's eye, gesturing his head toward the door. The ex-Sandrock pilot understood. He would be looking after their other lover while Quatre visited with Duo.

________________________________________________________________________

Heero was already part way up the block from the apartment building when Trowa caught up with him. The taller teen remained quiet, observing the tense muscles in Heero's jaw, and the stiffness in his posture. Maybe it was a good thing that Heero left when he did. He was a firecracker, ready to explode, and now was not the time or place to let that happen.

"I'm glad you kept your composure back there." Trowa spoke when they entered a rundown park a few blocks away. Heero whirled on him, cobalt eyes blazing with anger.

"I was so close to just smacking him! He's still so damn stubborn!"

"What did you expect, Heero? Did you think Duo would just fall into your arms, weeping his forgiveness?"

"No! I expected him to listen to me!"

"You didn't listen to him when he called. Sounds like fair play to me." Trowa answered quietly. The green-eyed teen settled into a gently swaying swing, tossing his head at the one next to him in invitation to Heero. "Sit with me."

"You're right. I guess I deserve that." Heero sighed, scuffing his shoes in the wood chips before taking the offered seat.

"And then some."

"Do you think that he will ever forgive me, Trowa?"

"I don't know Heero. I really don't know." He reached his hand across the space between the two swings, and Heero reached back, clasping their hands together. "I think that you have to forgive him, first."

_______________________________________________________________________

Duo disappeared into his bedroom once again after Trowa left the apartment. It took every ounce of strength he had to keep from handing Aleana to Wufei again, to chase after the ex-Wing pilot. Would the fight be worth it?

Aleana lay quietly in her crib, drinking her bottle, while Duo paced the room. This was all too much. It was like he was on a freaking roller coaster with no end in sight. He was surprised and happy to see Quatre, but Heero? What the hell was he thinking when he showed his face here? Did he mean to rub Miranda's death in his face again?

"God damn him!"

________________________________________________________________________

Quatre stared at the closed door, feeling more and more like an intruder. Maybe it wasn't the best idea to just show up unannounced, with everyone in tow, but Duo needed to know that Heero was extremely sorry for his actions.

"Might as well have a seat, Winner. He'll probably be in there awhile." Quatre nodded, slipping his jacket off, draping it over the back of the couch.

"He may run and hide…" Duo's infamous quote floated from his lips as he sat down.

"And it's catching up to him. He can't hide from things anymore." Wufei said, a note of sadness in his voice. "The more he runs, the more it tears him apart."

"You know, Wufei, during the war, I always thought Duo was our weakest link. Not as a pilot, don't get me wrong, he could fly his Gundam better than any of us! He seemed to be the wild one, though, always getting into trouble. It seemed like there was always one of us looking out for him, protecting him." Quatre looked the Chinese youth in the eye solemnly. "I came to realize on the flight here that I was wrong."

"He is stronger than any of us." The blonde continued. "I thought we were protecting him, but in retrospect, he was the one taking care of us. He never let us get down. Whenever things looked bleak, he was always there to lift our spirits, he was always the first with the med kit when someone was hurt, he was always there to listen when one of us needed to talk. And now, when the four of us have stability, we look down on him for needing our help. He is the only one of us who has nothing to fall back on. He's making his way on his own, with no money to his name, struggling to make something of himself. He's going to school to be a teacher, Wufei. How 'Duo' is that? He still wants to help everyone he can."

"You're absolutely right, Duo is a rare breed." Wufei nodded. "Is it any surprise that he has taken in these children? We thought him obnoxious and frivolous for making friends everywhere he went, when the truth was, he just truly cares about everyone he meets. If he sees someone who needs help, he doesn't hesitate to offer it. I'm as guilty as anyone else in not seeing him for who he really was. This is the first I've seen him since Mariemaia, and I find myself to be humbled by him."

Quatre hung his head, and ruffled his blonde hair with his fingers. "He was so embarrassed the first time he called me for money. I've never denied him, but every time he calls, he falls all over himself to apologize for needing my help. I know he only calls when he's desperate."

"He does have his pride, Winner. He went ballistic last night because I brought food into this apartment. He doesn't want to be a charity case. Hell, he was gung ho about making out a check for the dresses I purchased yesterday, even after I told him that they were a gift. He told me not to cash it until later. And I told you about him tearing apart his bedroom, looking for things to pawn, because he didn't want to use the money you'd deposited."

"I'm going to the hospital after I leave here." Quatre confided, his blue eyes gleaming with conviction.

"What is that going to accomplish now? Everything is over and done with. Duo is minus one child."

"It's not over. I'm going to rip that hospital to shreds, that's what I'm going to do. Aleana and Duo will not go without after I'm done with them."

"You realize that it might upset Duo more. Do you think he'd feel comfortable spending money that he only received because his daughter died?"

"Then don't tell him just yet. Let him get through the funeral, first. I'll make sure that any settlement is sent here directly. It won't take away the pain he's been put through, but it's the very least I can do." Quatre stood, retrieving his wallet from his briefcase that he'd left standing near the doorway. "Please, take my credit card and take care of things for him. He doesn't need to know."

________________________________________________________________________

Duo felt like such a heel. Here he was hiding out in his bedroom, getting himself ready for classes while his friends sat in his living room without him.

"There's just so damn much left to be done. What's Daddy supposed to do, Aleana? I can't cut school or skip work. Sure as hell can't afford to now." He sighed, tossing his hairbrush to the bed.

A soft knock startled him. "Duo? Can I come in?"

"Yeah, Quat. It's open." He muttered, lifting Aleana out of the crib to brush her curly red locks. Quatre entered, his eyes widening, taking in the disarray of the room. Wufei wasn't kidding when he said Duo was ripping his home apart.

"Sorry about the mess."

"Don't worry about it, Duo, it's no big deal." Duo pushed some clothing to the floor, clearing a spot on the bed for Quatre to sit next to him.

"So did you want something?"

"I just wanted to know how you were doing. Do you need me to do anything for you today?" The blonde asked, laying his hand on his friend's shoulder.

"I think I can manage it. Thanks for asking, though."

"Duo, you know I'm here for…"

"I don't need anything!" Duo shouted, standing up and whirling to face Quatre, holding the little redhead safely in his arms. "I'll finish up the funeral arrangements between classes and work. It's not like I'm planning a huge ceremony, ya know? It's not like anyone's gonna turn up for it!"

"I know, Duo, I didn't mean to upset you."

"I'm sorry, Quat." Duo sighed, all fight leaving him. "I really appreciate the offer, but I just need to do it myself."

"Will you at least let Wufei help you?"

"I…I already asked him. He's going to help with a few things."

"Good! Now, it looks like this little one needs to get dressed still. Allow me?" Quatre extended his arms, wanting to help in some way, even if it was just to dress the baby. Duo smirked a little, handing the squirming infant over. At least the help would give him a few minutes to do his personal things in the bathroom, like shaving and brushing his teeth.

"Her clothes are in the top drawer of the dresser there. Her shoes…" Duo looked around the chaotic room, kind of baffled as to where those went.

"I'm sure I can find them. If not, I'll have Wufei help me."

______________________________________________________________________

Wufei waited patiently at the coffee shop where Duo worked, watching the teen dole out lattes and pastries to everyone that entered. This neighborhood was one of the better in the area, adjacent to the campus of the local college that Duo attended. Many of the customers, most of them appearing to be students and professors, seemed to be regular customers, calling Duo by name, and receiving their orders without having to tell the boy what they wanted. Wufei took that as a good sign that he'd either worked there too long, or was just very good at his job.

Duo had allowed him to pick out a plot for Miranda, after spelling out to the Chinese teen exactly what he was looking for. "I just want her to be somewhere peaceful," he had told him. That was one more weight off his shoulders, knowing that Wufei had found a nice spot at Willow's Bend Cemetery.

"I'll be out in five minutes." Duo's voice was soft, as he leaned over to refill his friend's coffee cup.

"Take your time."

"Still lots of things to do, 'Fei. Need to get them done if I want that funeral to happen tomorrow. I can only skip classes and work once." Duo smiled ruefully as he walked away, refilling other patrons' coffee cups with feigned cheerfulness. He might have had his regulars fooled with that grin, but not Wufei. That smile never reached his eyes.

________________________________________________________________________

Quatre emerged from the sprawling brick building with a tight smile on his face. He had just ripped the board of directors of Granger Hospital to bits, and fed them to the animals. At first, none of the administrators were willing to take the threats of the small blonde teenager seriously, until Quatre revealed to them exactly who he was. He informed them in no uncertain terms that he could ruin each and every one of them personally, while exposing the hospital for what it was: a facility with no compassion, run by greedy old men willing to let their patients die while they awaited payment for services not even rendered.

With part of the guilt lifted from his chest, Quatre slid into the limo. He had a few stops to make before he could meet up with his lovers back at their hotel for the night.

____________________________________________________________

With all funeral arrangements made to the best of their abilities, Duo allowed Wufei to make dinner while he spent some time playing with Aleana on the living room floor.

When the Chinese teen announced that dinner was ready, Duo couldn't help the blush that spread across his cheeks when his stomach rumbled loudly. Maybe Wufei was right, he wasn't taking care of himself like he should.

After a brief argument over who would clean up the dishes, Duo shoved Wufei out of the kitchen, telling the other teen that he should be the one cleaning up after such a delicious meal. Twenty minutes later, Duo emerged from the kitchen to find Aleana fast asleep on Wufei's chest. Her little hands were fisted in the cotton fabric of his shirt, her small mouth open slightly, drooling. Duo allowed a smile to spread across his face. Wufei was dead asleep also, his hair coming unbound from the elastic band.

"Talk about a Kodak moment." He whispered, taking out a disposable camera to click off a few pictures. He couldn't pass up a sight like this with out making a permanent record of it.


	6. Life loves a tragedy part 5

We do not own the rights to GW! Never have and never will!

Warnings: Angst, language, slight OOC

Archived at: AFF, MM, and www.templeofthegoddess.com

Part five of 'Life loves a tragedy' by Sparkling Diamond PG-SSM & Saiyajin_Raven69

It felt like a typical Friday in Duo's book. He was tired, a little on the grumpy side, but nothing out of the ordinary. He got up before his alarm went off, dressing himself in the best clothes he owned. Simple black pants, a white cotton dress shirt, and a tie that he couldn't remember buying, but had been in his closet for a long time. Duo never had been one to dress up, he had never felt the need to buy a suit, but now he was kicking himself in the ass because he knew he'd stick out like a sore thumb amongst his wealthy friends.

He crept quietly from the bedroom, careful not to wake Aleana. He couldn't afford a cranky baby today, knowing that he'd have little to no chance of putting her down for a nap in the afternoon.

"What are you doing up so early?" A quiet voice startled Duo, coming from the open doorway of the bathroom.

"I could ask you the same thing." Duo replied, meeting Wufei's eyes in his reflection in the small mirror over the sink.

"Same as you, I suppose. It's going to be long day; may as well get a jump on it." He finished tying off his hair with a black elastic band, and turned to smile at Duo. "You have a visitor in the kitchen, by the way."

Duo sighed loudly, rolling his eyes. He had one guess, and that would be Quatre, the early riser. He strode the few steps down the short hallway to the kitchen, muttering under his breath. "Quat, I swear to god, if you…"

"Do I look like Quatre? I swore I had a better figure than him."

Duo's eyes widened, and his jaw dropped open, totally surprised at the unexpected visitor. He gaped for a few moments at the smiling face of his old friend, before wordlessly throwing himself into her open arms.

"It's nice to see you too, Duo." Hilde whispered, wrapping her arms around him, squeezing him tightly.

"What are you doing here? How'd you get here so fast? Who's watching the yard?"

The girl gave him an extra squeeze, and released the flabbergasted teen. "One question at a time, huh?" She said, playfully tweaking his nose. "I came because you needed me, Duo. I couldn't have lived with myself if I didn't come for your baby's funeral. The yard is fine without me for one day; I've got some really great guys working for me. They've got my number if they need me, but I doubt that they will."

"How long are you staying?" Duo asked, as his friend ushered him to a chair at the round table.

"I'm booked on the red-eye shuttle home tonight. The guys can do without me for a day, but I don't want to push my luck!" She winked at him. "Now sit down, mister, I brought breakfast."

"Hilde!" Duo glowered, giving her that look that meant he wasn't going to accept it.

"Sit down and eat! The last time we were together, you bought breakfast, so now it's my turn." She said, with a dismissive wave of one hand. "Wufei? Breakfast."

The dark haired girl sighed, plopping herself down in a chair next to her best friend. The flight from L2 was long, and getting to the apartment from the shuttle port seemed to take even longer, in the tiny car she'd rented. She hadn't seen Duo for well over a year, and his pale, gaunt appearance surprised her. She had seen him on the vid-phone when he'd called two nights ago, but the darkness of the room hid just how much he'd changed since she'd last seen him. 

The call in itself was shocking. She tried to keep in touch with Duo as much as possible, usually through e-mail, due to the exorbitant cost of phone calls between Earth and the colonies. She'd known about Aleana from the first day her friend had taken her in, but Miranda was a complete surprise.

"Duo? I think Aleana is awake." Wufei said, looping his tie into the perfect knot as he entered the kitchen.

"Damn it, I wanted her to sleep a little longer." The longhaired teen grumbled, getting up from the table, and stumbling from the kitchen. He turned back to look over his shoulder at his friends as he walked away. "I need to make a phone call while I'm in here; I need to let Mrs. Gregory know about the funeral this morning. I'm sure she's wondering about the details. I meant to call her last night. I'll be back out in a few minutes."

"He's not himself." Hilde noted, pushing around the scrambled eggs that clung disturbingly to the Styrofoam container they sat in.

"How did you come to that conclusion? He hardly said five words." Wufei replied, snatching up a small container of orange juice off the table, before taking the chair across from Hilde.

"Because if he _were_ himself, he would have been talking my ear off by now. Normally he goes on and on about Aleana, school, work; I usually can't get him to shut up! Since his call the other night, though, I've never seen him so…so defeated. No maniac grin, no babbling about Aleana. He really thought when you walked out that he'd just lost one more friend."

"I left to cool down. It would have done more harm than good to fight over…"

"I know what the fight was about." Hilde interrupted. "Duo told me everything, right down to him jumping your back about the food. In his mind, he was doing the best that he could, Wufei. It might have not been the right decision on his part, but he sees it from your point of view now."

"I was just worried. You see what he looks like. He's so thin, and so pale. It's obvious that he doesn't take care of himself, he's too busy taking care of the girls, and trying to get his degree when he barely makes enough money to support himself."

"We all worry about him. I know he thinks that we mother hen him to death some times. He's taken on so much since he left Heero. He's trying to forget about his past so he can move on."

"If I could be so forward, Hilde, why aren't you two together?" Wufei asked, tearing apart a bagel without looking up to meet the girl's eyes.

Hilde covered her mouth to stifle the laugh that erupted. She smiled apologetically when Wufei looked up at her, surprised at her reaction. "Sorry, but that's funny, really it is. I love him, but I don't feel for him like _that_. We're like brother and sister. We wouldn't make it as lovers, or whatever. Now _you_ on the other hand…" Her eyes twinkled with mischief as the Chinese teen stared at her, daring her to continue.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to assume anything, Wufei. I just figured by the way he talked about you the other night that something was going to happen between the two of you."

Wufei frowned, unsure of where the girl could have gotten the idea of something romantic going on from her conversation with Duo. He opened his mouth to ask just what Duo had said, when the boy in question swept into the room, with Aleana balanced on his hip.

"Say good morning to Uncle Wu and Auntie Hilde, Sunshine." The teen said in a sing-song voice, proudly showing off his beautiful daughter to his friend who had never met her. 

Aleana was wearing the outfit that Wufei had bought for her. The dress was soft yellow, with tiny embroidered daisies sprinkled over the skirt, with matching ruffled bloomers covering her diapered behind. The saleswoman at the store had thoughtfully pressed Wufei into buying matching sandals, which were white with a small silk daisy on the toe straps. The baby was busy thwapping her daddy with the white eyelet bonnet that she obviously thought was a toy, rather than apparel.

"Oh my, she's even more beautiful in person." Hilde grinned, taking the girl from him, and sitting her on her lap.

Duo beamed proudly, watching as his best friend became acquainted with his daughter. After a moment, he turned to the counter, busying himself with making Aleana's breakfast, and double checking to make sure that he had enough bottles, diapers and toys in the diaper bag.

"Does she walk yet, Duo?"

"Umm, no, but not for the lack of trying." Duo smiled, watching Aleana standing on Hilde's lap with a cross look on her face.

"She doesn't look happy. What's the matter sweetie?" Hilde asked in falsetto, making a grouchy face back at the baby, when Aleana broke into a wail.

"Ahh, I don't think that she likes me." Hilde grimaced, holding the child out for Duo to take, when Wufei scooped her up in his arms.

"Just finish what you need to do, Duo. I've got her."

"Thanks, 'Fei." Duo smiled, handing him a bottle, a bib, and a drool cloth. "She's a spitter. You've gotta watch her pretty closely to make sure she doesn't get any milk on herself or you!" Wufei nodded, frowning slightly, before taking Aleana out of the kitchen, and into the living room.

________________________________________________________________________

An hour later, the baby had been fed without messing up her pretty clothes, and all three adult occupants of the shabby apartment were dressed and ready to begin their somber day, when the shrill ring of the vid-phone disturbed the quiet. Not surprisingly, a blonde ex-pilot popped up on the screen when the call was answered.

Duo sat down heavily in the chair in front of the view screen. Although Quatre's visit the day before had been welcome, and he had been very glad that his friend hadn't turned his back on their friendship, he still was wary about the visit in general. Quatre had been as generous and caring as he always had been, and although Trowa's visit was brief, he had shown Duo with no uncertainty that he was there for the braided boy. There was still the presence of Heero to be faced, and Duo just wasn't sure that he was ready to take that bull by the horns. Thankfully, Quatre seemed to be alone at the other end of their phone connection.

"Good morning, Duo. How are you feeling today?" the blonde boy asked.

"Hey, Q-ball. I've seen better days. You?"

The small Arabian smiled fondly at the nickname that Duo had dubbed him with during the first war. "I'm fine. I just wanted to know what time to meet you two for Miranda's services. Would you like us to pick you up?"

Just then, Hilde leaned over Duo's shoulder, waving at Quatre. "Got room for me in that big ol' limo, Mr. Winner?"

"Well, hello Hilde!" the blonde smiled warmly. "I didn't know you were here! Of course we have room for you."

"Hey, wait just a minute! Hold your horses, you guys. I don't want to ride in a car with Heero!" Duo said hastily. "You guys can meet us at the cemetery; I can call a cab to come get us, here."

A look of consternation crossed the blonde's face briefly. He had hoped that maybe Wufei would have talked Duo down from his strong feelings against his Japanese lover, but apparently that hadn't happened. He almost wished that he had left the boy behind on L4. His presence was obviously causing more stress for an already frazzled Duo. 

He sighed heavily. "I'm sorry, Duo. I'm between a rock and a hard place. It's my fault that Heero is even here on Earth with us; he was fairly adamant against coming, but I forced him to. Now, though, he is just as adamant about making amends with you. I don't think I can keep him from attending the funeral. You know how he is when he sets his mind to something."

Duo huffed. "Fine. It's a free country, he can go wherever he wants. I just don't have to deal with him. I'm _not_ riding in a car with him, and that's final."

Hilde broke in on the conversation. "You know, I have a rental car. It's tiny, so I don't think I have room for all three of us." She looked pointedly at Wufei. "There's really not room in the backseat for a long-legged adult, but I can take you and Aleana." She said, returning her gaze to her best friend.

"Wu? Would you mind riding with the other guys?" Duo spun in the revolving desk chair to look pleadingly at the Chinese teen. "You know where the cemetery is, so you can tell them how to get there."

________________________________________________________________________

When the black stretch limo arrived, Duo was strapping Aleana into the back seat of the compact economy car that Hilde had rented at the shuttle port. The girl had apologized over and over for the dingy little vehicle. She had spent a large portion of her savings on the last minute shuttle trip to Earth, so had too little left over to rent a larger, newer model. She was relegated to accepting the cheapest car on the rental lot, and was now sorry that she hadn't splurged on the nicer sedan.

Once the baby was safely settled in her seat, Duo backed himself out of the pint-sized car, and turned to face Quatre and Trowa. "So, did you manage to shackle Heero up to the back of a city bus somewhere for me?"

"Oh, Duo!" Quatre sighed, as he embraced the braided boy. 

Trowa thumped his hand on Duo's back a couple of times while the two smaller boys hugged. "Sorry. He's in the car. I could muzzle him for you, if you'd like."

Duo pulled away from the blonde boy, smiling wryly at Trowa. "Thanks, Tro." He wasn't sure if he was thanking Trowa for the light-hearted comment that made him grin, or just for being there. He did know that Trowa would understand either way.

An indignant shriek from the back seat let them know that Aleana was getting aggravated at being strapped into a car seat, and ignored. "There's our cue!" Duo smiled sadly. "Guess we'd better get this show on the road." 

All the teens piled into their respective vehicles, directions in hand, and began the 9 mile trek to the cemetery, which was located on the outskirts of the city; far removed from the dirt, smog and poverty of their current surroundings.

All was quiet in the small car, Aleana having fallen asleep the minute the vehicle hit the highway. Duo leaned his forehead against the cool glass of his window, idly counting the construction barrels that slowly passed through his line of vision. Finally, Hilde couldn't take the silence any longer, and decided to fill the space between them.

"So, Duo…how did you come to have Miranda? I knew about Aleana, but you haven't told me the circumstances around how you got the baby."

Duo turned his head and smiled wistfully at his friend. "I wish you'd gotten to meet her, Hilde. She was the sweetest thing. I don't know how any mother could have given her up." He looked down at his hands, not really seeing them, but seeing back in time to when he had first come across the tiny girl.

"She was just left at the free clinic that I take Aleana to for her check ups. I guess the mother stepped in the door of the lobby, put down the car seat, and ran. She was brand new. I'd had her three days before her umbilical cord even fell off. The docs at the clinic said she'd been delivered in a hospital, 'cause she had a bracelet on, but the mother's name on it was fake, so even the hospital where she was born couldn't find her."

"And the people at the clinic just gave her to you?"

"Well, I kinda begged." He smiled sheepishly. "They all know me there, and if I hadn't taken her, God only knows where she would have ended up, an orphanage, probably. I couldn't sit back and let her be sent there, so I pleaded my case, and they let me take her home. I hadn't adopted her or anything, yet. I don't think I'd even be allowed to adopt, being a single kid with no money. So far, so good, though."

Duo looked back at the sleeping red-head in the backseat, and tears welled up in his indigo eyes, as he looked at the cherubic face. "I just live in fear of the day that someone comes and takes my angel away from me." 

Hilde put her hand on her friend's knee and squeezed tightly. "It won't happen, Duo. You may just be a single kid with no money, but you're a damn good person. No child could hope to have a better father than you." She said with conviction. "Anyone would be an idiot to take her from you."

He wiped at his damp eyes, and turned his gaze back to the driver. "Thanks, Hil. Sorry to get all blubbery on you."

She swatted the knee that she'd been holding with the back of her hand. "Don't apologize to me, mister. I think it's beautiful the way you care for these babies. Don't ever be sorry for loving someone."

________________________________________________________________________ 

When they arrived at the cemetery, they followed the limo through a maze of hedges, down a winding gravel pathway. When the cars finally came to a stop, they were met by a beautiful vision of a picturesque setting of evergreens and maple trees, surrounding the well-manicured lawns of an area that was obviously designated for the burial of children. Small headstones were sprinkled across the greens, many with teddy bears, lambs or other childish icons engraved into the granite, even more with graceful angels, their peaceful faces cast downward to keep watch over the sleeping babies below.

Two cars were already there, a gleaming black SUV, and an older station wagon, with Mrs. Gregory sitting behind the wheel. She bustled out of her seat when Duo stood from the small rental car, and immediately rushed toward him to enfold him in a grandmotherly hug. 

"Oh, my sweet Duo!" She exclaimed as she held him tight, tears tracking down her wrinkled face. "I'm so sorry about your poor little darling!"

He returned the strength of her embrace, trying to keep his own tears at bay. "Thank you, Mrs. Gregory."

"I just keep thinking that there should have been something I could have done for her, but…"

"Shh." Duo stopped her sobbing speech. "You did exactly the right thing, calling the ambulance. That's all I would have done myself. It's not your fault."

He pulled back from her arms, and gave her a small smile. "Now, I know someone else who'd like to see you." He said, as he turned and leaned into the car to release the just awakened Aleana from her infant seat. He backed out with the smiling girl, who squealed when she saw the older woman, reaching her arms out to the only person other than Duo that had taken care of her in her short life. As he handed the child to her sitter, Duo caught a glimpse of bright colors in his peripheral vision, and turned to gape at the display of flowers arranged around the tiny gravesite.

"What? Who?" He said to himself, as he walked over to look at the card on the largest arrangement. "Relena? How did she know?"

He circled the site, plucking the card from each bundle of flowers, his amazement clear on his face as he read each tiny piece of paper. "Zechs and Noin; Sally; Une; the shop; Howie and the guys." He turned, scanning the faces of his friends. "How did they know?"

Wufei sheepishly raised his hand. "I thought your friends should know what you were going through. I called them all yesterday while you were out. Everyone I talked to would have liked to have been here, but they all send their love."

"Wow." He said, shuffling through the cards once more, reading over the sentiments written on each one. He raised his head to look at his friend, giving him a sad smile. "Thanks, Wu. These really mean a lot to me." 

The Chinese teen nodded in reply. Just then, the officiant stepped forward and cleared his throat. "Mr. Maxwell? Are you ready to begin?"

Duo looked at the tiny white casket, perched on the silver bars of the mechanism that would lower it into the ground. Looking back to the man, he sighed. "Yeah, I suppose so. Can you open the casket, though? I'd like to see her one more time."

"Of course."

When the lid was unlocked and raised, soft gasps rose from all around the braided teen, as those who hadn't seen the baby got their first look at her. Nestled against her pillow of ivory satin, dressed in the christening gown that Wufei had bought for her, the girl looked like a true angel. The morticians that had taken care of her body had done a beautiful job in making her look like she was just sleeping. She looked so natural, with a slight rouge on her cheeks, and her chubby, dimpled hands lying delicately at her sides.

Duo let out a small sob as he gazed at her, reaching his hand out to lightly stroke her cheek, as tears began to slowly fall from his eyes. He felt Wufei's presence at his back, and found himself leaning slightly against him, as hands clasped onto his shoulders in support. 

Standing back from the small group of friends, Heero felt his heart tighten at the sight of his former lover's sorrow. He once again was overwhelmed by the knowledge that he was the reason for the child being in the coffin, and he found himself stepping forward so that he could get a glimpse of her. He choked when he laid eyes on the tiny Asian girl lying in the satin lined box. Conflicting emotions flooded over him all at once. Anger with himself, anger at Duo, the pain of the love he still harbored for the braided boy, the bittersweet feeling of finally seeing his ex-lover in person after two long years, the weight of the guilt he felt for the precious infant's death. Seeing her cherubic face brought it all home for him; once again, he had caused the death of an innocent.

He made a sound low in his throat, somewhere between a growl and a moan, and abruptly turned away from the scene. He needed to be alone with his emotions; he couldn't let them go in the presence of his ex-lover. He briskly walked to the limo, getting in and closing the door as quietly as possible. He sat heavily against the cool leather seat, leaning his head back and closing his eyes, using every bit of control he had to keep the tears that were threatening to fall at bay. His chin quivered as one tear slipped past his defenses.

Duo turned at the sound of the car door closing, and saw that Heero was missing. He clenched his fists, and ground his teeth together, interpreting the Japanese boy's disappearance as a sign of his indifference.

Over the years since the wars had begun, Quatre had learned to have greater control over his empathic ability to feel the emotions of others around him, and he was rarely even affected by them anymore, unless he purposely let his guards down. Today, however, his mind was spinning with all the powerful emotions rolling off of two boys in particular. He took the few steps toward Duo, and laid his hand against the former pilot's face.

"Duo, it's ok." He whispered, his expressive blue-green eyes sparkling with concern. "Heero's very confused. Just forget about him for now, and focus on Miranda. Don't let anger mar your final moments with her."

Duo nodded at the blonde, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, before meeting the eyes of each of the rest of his circle of friends. "Alright." He motioned to the officiant to begin the service.

The man spoke of angels and heaven, without getting too religious, as Duo had requested. All too soon, it was over, and the speaker pulled a single white rose from the spray that Relena had sent, and handed it to Duo. The braided boy kissed the flower, then gently stroked the baby's cheek with the petals, before laying the rose in the casket with her. "Goodbye, my little angel. I love you." He said, as he closed the lid of the coffin for the last time.

Each of his friends embraced him in turn, every one of them having been affected by his sorrow. When he reached Hilde, the girl who had been proud of herself for her composure burst into tears. Duo enfolded her in his arms and wept with her. A cry from Aleana, upset at seeing her Daddy crying, broke the two apart.

"Oh, Sunshine, I'm sorry!" Duo said, wiping his face dry, and taking the whimpering girl from Mrs. Gregory. "Daddy's ok, darlin'." He said, bouncing her gently, to make her smile again.

"Duo, let me take the little pumpkin home with me, so you can spend some time with your friends." The older lady offered, reaching her hands toward the little girl once more.

"Oh, that would be great, Mrs. Gregory. Could you keep her for a couple of hours?"

"Of course, dear. Just come by when you're ready to pick her up."

Hilde made herself busy pulling the infant carrier from the back seat of her rental car, and put it into the baby sitter's old station wagon. When the baby had been safely strapped in, and the wagon was moving slowly down the gravel road, Heero finally emerged from the back of the stretch limousine.

Duo's fury, which had been suppressed during the services, flared back to life when he saw the Japanese youth. "Yuy." Duo spat, "You have no business being here today. Just sit your sorry ass back in that car, and stay out of my sight."

While he'd been sitting in the cool stillness of the limo, Heero had quietly meditated, falling back to the method he had used during the war to find balance when his soldier's instincts raged against his teenage emotions. When he had finally centered himself, he was able to face Duo's rage with his usual cool, detached demeanor.

"Duo, I came here to speak with you…"

The braided teen didn't let him finish. His fist connected with Heero's chin, reopening the split bottom lip that Quatre had given him just two days before. In an instant, Heero was fighting back, and blows were hitting their mark on each enraged boy. The sounds of flesh hitting flesh, and angry growls and grunts filled the silence of the little cemetery. Hilde screamed, and Wufei rushed to break them up, but found himself caught from behind in Trowa's strong arms. 

"Don't, Wufei. This has been a long time coming. They need to settle things between them. They always did communicate better after a good fist fight." Trowa said in a low voice, directly into the struggling Chinese boy's ear.

"But Yuy will kill him! Let me go!" Wufei shouted.

"No. He won't. They are both very upset, but neither one of them hates the other enough to really hurt him." Quatre assured him.

"Stop it!" Hilde screamed, her tears flowing again, as Duo landed a punch to Heero's stomach that nearly winded the blue-eyed teen. The two separated, both glaring death at one another as they caught their breath.

Wufei broke away from Trowa, only to be stopped by Duo throwing a hand up to block him. "Leave us alone, Chang!" He snarled. 

The Chinese teen's eyes widened at the venom in his friend's voice.

"All of you! Go away! This is between us, let us fucking settle it on our own!"

The astonished officiant looked at the bystanders, and raised his voice. "There is a chapel just down that path there. You are welcome to go in, the doors should be unlocked." He looked once more at the fighting teens, then got into his SUV and drove away.

"Go." Heero glared lividly at the remaining mourners, as he pulled a tissue from his pocket to wipe at the blood streaming down his chin.

Trowa wrapped his arm around Wufei, and Quatre followed suit with Hilde, and began to lead the two down the gravel path toward the chapel. Wufei turned his head, meeting Duo's eyes to make sure he would be alright alone with the irate and dangerously strong ex-pilot of Wing.

Duo nodded at Wufei, then walked a short distance to a lone maple tree, throwing himself down at the base of its trunk. "I'm still pissed as all hell, but I'm too fucking tired to fight anymore. We're just gonna scream at each other, no more punches, right Yuy?" He said in the direction of the quiet teen.

"Yes. No one will get hurt. Leave us."

"We'll give you twenty minutes, but no longer. I don't trust him." The young Preventers agent said over his shoulder, eyes narrowed at Heero.

"Fine." Said the Japanese teen, as he removed his ripped suit jacket, and tossed it into the black car.

When the four friends were beyond the line of trees, Heero walked over to the tree Duo was seated under, and gracefully dropped to the grass a few feet away from him.

"Why did you come, Heero?" Duo asked hotly. "Don't you think you hurt me enough the last time I talked to you? Didn't you realize that seeing you would make things even worse?"

"What?!" Heero said incredulously. "I hurt _you_?"

"My baby is _dead_ because of you, Heero! Yes, you fucking hurt me!" Duo stood up, looming over Heero with his fists clenched in fury.

The Japanese teen stood, as well, facing off with his ex-lover with just as much fire burning in his eyes. "I accept that her death was partly my fault..."

"_Partly_?" Duo hissed. "If you had let me talk to Quatre, she'd still be alive! It's _entirely_ your fault that she's dead!"

"Fine. I'll accept that responsibility, and I truly am sorry, Duo. You know that if I had known, that if I had understood the severity of what was going on, I wouldn't have denied you." Heero's calm resurfaced, but the storm in his eyes belied the tempest that his emotions were swirling in. "But you aren't blameless here, Duo. Maybe I did hurt you purposely, but if I did, it's because you hurt me first."

"How did I hurt you?" Duo shouted in disbelief.

"You _left_ me, Duo!" He shouted back. "You didn't give me a reason, you didn't say goodbye, you just fucking disappeared without a trace! Did you expect me to just forgive you? To forget you? I loved you, you bastard!" Heero dropped heavily to sit on the grass, and said through clenched teeth, "I loved you, but you left me."

Duo moved back to his place at the base of the tree, and sat with his legs stretched out in front of him. "I couldn't stay, Heero. I had to run." He chuckled ruefully. "You know me, I run and I hide…"

"Why?" Heero finally looked up, glaring defiantly at his ex-lover. "You said you loved me. What did I do to make you stop? I've gone over it and over it in my head, and I can't figure out what the hell I did so wrong that it would make you not love me anymore."

The American boy stayed silent for long moments, idly playing with the end of his braid. When he finally spoke, his voice was so quiet that Heero had to lean forward to hear him. "I never stopped loving you, Heero. I didn't mean to be gone forever, I just needed a break. I needed to figure out who I was. I needed to get myself cleaned up before I could completely devote the rest of my life to you."

"What are you saying?"

"I didn't know who I was, Heero. All of a sudden, the fighting's over, and no one has any use for an ex-God of Death." He said, meeting Heero's eyes. "I was able to make it through the first few months, because I thought as long as we were together, we'd make it, no matter what. Then after awhile, though, love just wasn't enough. I needed a purpose, but was too busy drinking myself into oblivion to be able to figure out what my purpose might be."

He paused for just a moment, but when Heero didn't respond, he continued. "Did you even notice that I spent most of my life drunk? I don't think you even saw what I was going through! You just lived day to day sitting in front of your computer, working on whatever the hell it was that you worked on, completely oblivious to what I was doing."

"I knew." Heero said softly. "I just didn't know what to do about it. Didn't know how to make you stop the drinking, so I guess I just thought if I ignored it, it would go away."

"Well, it didn't. It didn't go away until I went away." Duo said bitterly. "I came down here to Earth to get away from you, to get away from everyone who would try to influence me to be something that I didn't want to be. I came here to clean up, and to figure out what it was that I wanted to do with the rest of my life. By the time I had sobered up, and knew that I wanted to go to school to become a teacher, and realized that leaving you was the biggest mistake I'd ever made, I found out that you'd moved on without me. That you were with Tro and Quat. That hurt like hell, Heero."

"Oh Gods, Duo!" Heero choked, as he got to his knees and lunged at his ex-lover, clutching him to his chest desperately. "I didn't know! I thought you were never coming back! You left without a word, and I couldn't find you!" Tears were streaming down his face unbidden, and unnoticed.

Duo hugged Heero just as fiercely, his own tears darkening the front of Heero's pale blue shirt. "I've missed you so much, Heero." He sobbed. "I'm so sorry I hurt you, I wasn't in my right mind when I left, and once I was, I just felt so damn bad about how I'd handled it that I couldn't face you!"

Heero was reeling. It felt so good to hold Duo in his arms again. Two years of hurt and confusion had just been shattered by Duo's admission that he didn't leave him for good; that he hadn't stopped loving him. He kissed the boy's temple reverently, and stroked his hand over his heavy braid, holding him as he continued sobbing. As he swayed with his once love, it came to him that yet again, it all fell back to him. He had failed Duo when he'd given up on him, and joined Quatre and Trowa on L4. If he'd just had faith in Duo, he'd have come back to him, and they'd have been happily together again; even happier than they had been once Duo had found what he was looking for in life.

As much love as he still felt for the boy in his arms, he had to admit that he felt just as much for his new lovers. His heart felt like it was being ripped in two. He loosened his grip on Duo, and drew back to look at his face. Bright indigo eyes that he had loved for so long blinked up at him, then abruptly closed as the braided boy crushed his mouth to Heero's.

Four startled gasps, and cries of "Heero!" and "Duo!" filled the silence as Quatre, Trowa, Wufei and Hilde rounded the path from the grove of trees, and saw the passionately embracing couple.

tbc


	7. Life loves a tragedy part 6

We do not own the rights to GW! Never have and never will! 

Warnings: Angst, language, slight OOC 

Archived at: AFF, MM, and anywhere else, just ask! 

Part six of 'Life loves a tragedy' by Sparkling Diamond PG-SSM & Raven Layne

A chorus of voices shouting their names brought the soul-felt kiss to a premature end, and the couple that had been sharing it back to reality. Heero and Duo abruptly broke their embrace, and turned toward their gaping friends. Wide, surprised eyes danced rapidly from one face to the next, as Duo registered the pain and confusion found on all four expressions. Hurt was especially poignant in the two sets of eyes riveted on Heero.

The braided teen made a low noise in the back of his throat, and threw his arms around his ex-lover, burying his face into Heero's neck. Achingly familiar hands stroked his back for a few silent moments, allowing him to calm his frazzled nerves, and to catch his breath, before they moved to his shoulders to pull him away from the warmth of the embrace.

Heero guiltily dropped his gaze from the speechless audience surrounding them, and looked down at the boy who was clutching at the front of his tear-dampened blue shirt. He felt his heart clench painfully when he saw the love and longing in the expressive indigo eyes locked with his. Duo's entire countenance radiated hope and joy, as he smiled adoringly up at the lover that he had never intended to abandon so many long months before.

"Oh gods, Duo." Heero whispered, wiping a bit of blood from the teen's chin, left there from his own split lower lip. He released the young man who had been his first love, and stood abruptly, turning his back to him. With head down and eyes tightly shut, his entire body shuddered where he stood.

"I can't, Duo. I just can't do this." His voice quavered, as he felt he was being strangled by the agony deep in his heart. "Trowa and Quatre…"

He couldn't finish speaking; his throat refused to function. He felt, rather than saw, Duo crumple behind him. The devastated teen fell forward on his elbows, his forehead resting on a gnarled root protruding from the grass at the base of the maple tree.

With shaky legs, Heero began his retreat to the long black car; for the second time that morning he felt the need to escape. His steps faltered when he heard the mournful wail rising from the very soul of the young man that he was walking away from. He turned slightly, taking in the heart-rending sight of the broken boy on the ground. He raised one hand toward him, reaching out as if to offer comfort, when that hand was captured in an iron grasp, and his arm was painfully wrenched behind him, wrist threatening to break.

He found himself forced against the side of the limousine, an incensed Chinese teen savagely twisting his arm in an unnatural angle that, were he anyone other than Heero Yuy, would have broken bones.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing, Yuy?" Wufei growled as he wrenched the wrist harder. "Haven't you done enough? You fucking caused the death of his child, are you trying to do him in, too?"

The blue-eyed boy stood quietly, his head bowed to rest his cheek against the cool surface of the car's roof. He didn't struggle, or attempt to defend himself. In the years that had passed since his unconventional training, his physical strength was still much greater than his Chinese compatriot's. They both knew that he could break away easily if he put his mind to it, but he had neither the desire, nor the energy to fight.

Wufei spun him around, and was taken aback by the suffering clearly written deep within stormy blue eyes. He was stunned to see tears slowly coursing down the face of the young man whom he'd always thought felt nothing; who possessed a heart of ice. His anger abated when he saw the deep sorrow on the other boy's face, and he released him cautiously.

"Please," Heero said hoarsely, clearing his throat and licking his lips before continuing. "Leave me be. I'm not worth the trouble. Go make sure he's okay."

Wide-eyed and rather dumbfounded, Wufei nodded wordlessly, and slipped away from Heero. He quickly turned, and went to join Hilde and Quatre, who were trying to comfort the shaking ex-pilot.

Trowa stood alone near the front of the long black car, his gaze shifting from the sorrowful display beneath the tree, to the conflict between one of his lovers and one of his closest friends. He was loathe to intrude on either scene, and waited until one or the other had resolved itself. When Heero opened the car door and slipped inside, Trowa took the opportunity to join him.

The tall boy walked to the other side of the car, opened the door, and slid onto the leather seat beside the young man who was slumped into the corner, eyes closed, rubbing his recently abused wrist. Trowa lifted his arm, and placed it on the back of the seat behind Heero's shoulders, lightly resting his hand on the back of the dark head. They sat quietly together for many long moments, before Trowa broke the silence.

"I'm listening."

Heero sighed heavily, and rubbed his face with both hands. "Give me a few minutes. I need to get my head straightened out before I can talk about it." He turned his head, his pained eyes meeting concerned green. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry."

Trowa nodded. "I'm here, Heero. Take as long as you need."

Closing his eyes and leaning his head back once again, Heero sighed deeply, thankful that it was the more taciturn of his lovers who had joined him in the car. He didn't think he could handle the ball of emotion that was Quatre Winner at the moment. His relief was short lived, however, as the door opened once again, and a blond flurry entered the passenger compartment of the limousine.

Quatre sat directly across from Heero and Trowa, on the bench seat facing the rear of the car. His body language shouted his agitation louder than a megaphone, as he leaned toward them with his elbows on his knees, and his pale brow furrowed over burning blue eyes.

"Would you care to explain what happened out there, Heero?"

"Not now, Quatre." Trowa warned softly, squeezing Heero's shoulder. "Give him a minute to figure it out for himself, before going at him with both barrels."

The blond businessman took a deep breath, and settled himself back against the dark leather seat, his gaze never leaving his Japanese lover. He ran his fingers through his hair as he exhaled slowly, attempting to calm his own nerves, while still being affected by the strong swirl of emotions he was being buffeted with from those that he held closest in his heart.

The dark haired boy finally opened his eyes, not lifting them to meet either of his companions. He licked his dry lips, still tasting blood on the lower one, before speaking with a voice thick with barely repressed tears.

"He never meant to leave me. Not permanently." He cleared his throat, and wiped brusquely at a trail of water that had escaped his eye. "He was confused. He didn't know what to do with his life. He was an alcoholic, you know. He left to get cleaned up, but he was going to come back."

Quatre gasped. Duo hadn't been in touch with any of the pilots after his disappearance, and when he did finally get in contact, Heero had already been taken in by the former pilots of Sandrock and Heavyarms. He recalled well Duo's phone call, nearly a year after he had deserted Heero. Trowa had been with him at the vid-phone, and had told the braided boy that the one he had left behind was now living with them, and he had made it perfectly clear what the arrangements were. There was no room for confusion over the relationship between the three former soldiers.

Quatre remembered the brief moment of disbelief and despair that had passed over Duo's face, before he slipped into his old joker's façade, and quickly ended the call. The blond now wished that he had pressed the issue at the time; that he had gotten in touch with Duo to find out exactly why he had left. Maybe some of the pain that the two former lovers had gone through in the past two years could have been avoided. Quatre would never wish away the time that Heero had spent in the embrace of his and Trowa's love, but he did wish that he could take away some of the heartache that had transpired in the years since the last war.

He knelt on the floor in front of Heero, taking both of his hands.

"He still loves you, Heero." He said quietly, finally drawing the sharp blue eyes to meet his own. "And you still love him."

A sob escaped the throat of the normally impassive youth, as his shoulders sagged under the comforting arm of his green-eyed love. He jerked his hands away from Quatre, and covered his face with them as his entire body began to shudder with the enormity of the months of inhibited anguish. It seemed as if all the misery and dejection that he'd suppressed since Duo had abandoned him finally found its release, in a long black car, in a picturesque cemetery. He was mourning the death of his first love, as surely as the boy he'd loved was mourning him just outside the window, beneath the graceful shelter of a maple tree.

Tears slid down the pale cheeks of the young man sitting on his heels in the floor of the car, as the green-eyed boy on the seat bowed his head, fighting down his own pangs of sorrow. Both boys knew that they were at a turning point in their relationship with their third. Neither would dream of keeping Heero from returning to Duo, if it was what would make him happy, but likewise, neither of them wanted to think of that possibility. As unconventional as their arrangement may have been, the three of them were together out of genuine love for each other, and both felt that if Heero left, he would take part of their hearts with him.

As Heero's tears began to slow, Quatre pulled his hands away from his face, and held the damp palms against his chest, clutching them to his rapidly beating heart.

"Heero, I think you have a decision to make." He started quietly, staring into stricken blue eyes. "Do you want to go back to him?"

The Japanese boy's eyes turned toward the window, and gazed sadly at the scene under the maple tree. Duo was slumped in Wufei's arms, looking for all the world as if he were unconscious, the anguish of the day having obviously exhausted him. Hilde sat beside the two former pilots, stroking Duo's hair softly, with rivulets of mascara streaking down her face.

"I've failed him." Heero whispered. "At every turn, with everything I've ever done, I've let him down."

Trowa cleared his throat, before speaking in a voice hoarse with repressed emotion. "How do you mean, Heero? How did _you_ fail _him_? He's the one who left you."

Thick dark hair became even more tousled as Heero shook his head harshly, his eyes glancing from Trowa to Quatre and back again, searching for understanding.

"Don't you get it?" He asked in a voice that sounded foreign to his own ears, for all its desperation. "He left because he needed help that I wasn't giving him! I didn't know what to do, so I just ignored the problem, and thought it would go away! But he went away, and I didn't have faith enough in him that he would come back! He told me today that when he had found his path in life, and was ready to come back to me, I had already moved on without him! I gave up on him!"

"Heero…" Quatre started, before being interrupted.

"He just confused the hell out of me, you know?" Heero said despondently, his mood changing in a moment from frantic to somber. He sat back against the seat, leaning his head back and closing his eyes. "He would never leave me alone. During the first war, he was just always there, always wanting to be with me, even when I was nothing short of an asshole to him. He'd touch me…no one had _ever_ touched me before, unless it was to inflict pain. I didn't understand. He'd put his arm around me, or he'd touch my hand, or even ruffle my hair. It drove me crazy, because I couldn't figure out what he wanted from me; I couldn't figure out why he would want to touch me, or even be around me."

He paused to take a breath, and let his eyes drift to the padded ceiling of the car, as he remembered the early days of his relationship with Duo.

"No matter what I did to push him away, no matter how hateful or pissy I'd be toward him, he'd just smile back at me. Soon, I found myself purposely trying to be near him, and hoping to be paired with him on missions just so that he maybe would touch me again." A small smile crossed his face. "Then one day, he kissed me."

He shook his head, as if to clear his mind of the memories that had taken him away for a moment, then looked first at Trowa, then at Quatre.

"He was always there for me; he always watched my back, even when I told him to go to hell and leave me alone. He stitched me up when I couldn't tend to my own wounds. He convinced me that I wasn't just a tool of war; that I was human. I could rely on him, even when I couldn't trust myself. And what did I do for him? Nothing! I ignored him when he needed my help to beat his addiction to alcohol, I gave up on him after only eight months, moving on with my life before even knowing what had happened in his, and _then_ I killed his child!"

"Stop it, Heero!" Trowa hissed, pulling the shorter man into a tight embrace. "It's not your fault. You didn't kill her. The doctors that wouldn't treat her are the reason she's gone, not you!"

Quatre raised up on his knees, still poised on the floor in front of Heero's feet, and wrapped his arms around the two distraught young men, his own tears flowing freely.

"He's right, Heero. Don't take the blame on yourself. You couldn't have known about the baby, any more than you could have known what Duo had planned when he left. You waited for him a long time, you searched tirelessly. You didn't know what was going through his mind. If it's anyone's fault, it's his for not letting you know where he was, or why he left."

Heero broke away from the three-way embrace, wiping roughly at his face. When he opened his eyes, Quatre and Trowa were surprised to see that he had schooled his features into his typical impassive expression. The trails of dried tears were the only evidence that he'd been upset at all.

"It doesn't matter anymore, it's over." He said, calmly. "It's obvious that Duo and I aren't meant to be together, if all I've ever done is hurt him. He doesn't deserve that. He can find someone who will understand him better than I ever did."

"We could always make our threesome a foursome, if you want. We've got plenty of room at home." Trowa said with a forced grin, tucking a well-worn tissue into his pocket.

"If what I was feeling out there was correct, we'd better make it a fivesome." Quatre quipped.

Both heads turned toward him, questions in both pairs of eyes.

"Hilde?" Heero asked.

"No, Wufei." Quatre said, raising up from the floor to take his seat on the bench across from his lovers. "The emotions he was projecting toward Duo were very powerful. I don't know that he's in love with him, but he feels very strongly, no doubt about it."

Heero nodded his head once, seemingly in agreement with Quatre's deduction. "That's it then. Wufei will be good for him. Duo doesn't need me anymore."

"The question is, do you need him?" The blond inquired quietly.

"That's of no importance. Duo's happiness is what matters. I just hope that we can have some kind of relationship again, one day. I just hope that he can forgive me."

He sighed, then looked both of his lovers in the eyes solemnly. "The real question is, do the two of you still want me to be with you? I'd understand if…"

Heero's speech was interrupted by a small blond businessman throwing himself into his lap, with his arms tightly folded around the dark haired teen's neck. "Don't you even ask that, Heero!" He scolded in a low, impassioned voice. "You know we want you with us! We love you!"

Trowa mimicked Quatre's earlier move, and wrapped his long arms around his two lovers, silently echoing the blond's sentiments with a lingering kiss to Heero's temple.

"Let's go back to the hotel, we're all exhausted." Quatre suggested. "The shuttle leaves at 21:00 tonight. We can get some rest, then check back in on Duo before we leave for the shuttle port."

The green eyed boy nodded his agreement, kissing Heero's temple once more before releasing him.

The limousine slowly rolled out of the serene cemetery at Quatre's cue to the driver, and the three boys in the back remained silent, caught up in their own thoughts. Deep blue eyes could only stare out the window at the love he was leaving behind.

Tired was an understatement. Wufei breathed a sigh of relief after settling Duo in his bedroom for a nap, while Hilde cleaned up the kitchen from their early morning breakfast. He scrubbed at his eyes, he was tired himself, but he could sleep on the flight back home later that night. He wanted to be awake if he was needed for anything.

He had expected that emotions would be running high today, but what had transpired at the cemetery was completely over and above anything he could have ever imagined. It would take months, if not years for the emotional scars that had accrued today to heal.

"Is he asleep?" Wufei blinked, turning to meet Hilde's concerned look.

"Yeah, for the moment." He answered, pulling at his tie that was still knotted tightly at his throat.

"I wish that I didn't have to leave so soon." Hilde said, flopping down onto the couch. "He really needs someone to look after him."

"I'm afraid that I will be leaving on a red eye flight tonight. Lady Une and Sally are expecting me back tomorrow." He sighed, slipping the silk necktie from underneath his collar, and carelessly tossing it onto the end table.

"Are you sure you can't stay longer? Maybe take some vacation time?"

Wufei shook his head. He wished he could extend his time here, but his division at Preventers was short-handed, and his presence was sorely needed to keep the peace in the sprawling city that he protected. He'd already had to pull favors from two of his fellow agents to take the time off that allowed him to be with Duo now, he knew that calling to beg for more time would be futile.

"I have cases stacked on my desk right now, and I know that a big sting operation will be going down in just under three weeks. I'm needed back there."

Hilde sighed in disappointment. She was hoping that one of the guys would be able to stay with Duo, at least to help him through the first few days of his mourning, but the display in the cemetery surely knocked three of the pilots out of contention. She knew that there had been some unsettled business between Duo and Heero, but she never thought she'd see them come to blows, and then find them in a deep kiss so soon after. She ran her fingers through her short messy hair. It would be a long time before she could even begin to forget the sounds of her brother' crying broken-heartedly on the ground.

"You're the closest one to him. Will you try and keep an eye on him?" She asked.

Wufei turned; startled that she would suggest something like that. "Closest? I'm hardly his best friend, Hilde. This is the first time I've seen him in over two years."

"Maybe not his best friend, but you did come here on a moment's notice to be with him. After what happened today, I really can't imagine him even speaking with the other three. So that leaves you and me. Seeing that I'm living on L-2 and you're here on Earth, you're closest to him. Just call or email him. I don't want to see him taking up the bottle again. That nearly destroyed him last time. I'm sure if he started again, it would kill him."

Wufei nodded. He'd heard bits and pieces of what had happened over the past few years, but a lot of it remained a mystery. Hilde's comment about Duo taking up the bottle raised his curiosity; he knew nothing about his friend's prior struggle with alcoholism. He was sure that he would get the whole story one day, but he knew for certain that he didn't want to see the ex-Deathscythe pilot losing control over his life.

"I will check up on him. You don't need to worry about that."

"Thanks, Wufei. You'll be a good influence on him. Who could go wrong with a friend like you?" Wufei merely grunted, leaning back into the couch and closing his eyes. He had a lot to think about.

Duo sighed, snuggling deeper into the blankets that felt so warm around him. He was vaguely aware of someone stroking his bangs away from him face, caressing his forehead, the repetitive motion soothing him greatly.

"I have to be leaving soon, sleepy head." Duo groaned, burying his head further into his pillow.

"Don't go yet." He mumbled, earning a chuckle from the woman perched on the side of his bed.

"I'm afraid I have to. I don't trust those guys to run the place by themselves yet. I'm scared to see what sort of chaos and destruction has gone on since I left the yard in their hands." Hilde snorted disdainfully, rolling her eyes, before her gaze softened when it landed on her sleep ruffled friend. "I can probably get some extra time for the holidays. Wouldn't it be great to spend Christmas together? Maybe Aleana will like me by then."

"She doesn't hate you, Hilde." Duo rolled over, his sleepy violet eyes blinking to adjust to the lights streaming through the open bedroom door. "She's just not used to a lot of strangers. She's been accustomed to only me and Mrs. Gregory."

"She seems to have warmed up to Wufei well enough."

"Yeah."

"Who knew that Chang Wufei had a way with children? I think he's got a way with braided teenage boys, as well!" She said, winking.

"What are you trying to say, Hilde? That I should pack up and move in with Wuffers?"

"Well, he is available, gorgeous, and gets along with Aleana." Duo sat up in bed, throwing the blankets off hastily.

"Look, Hilde. Drop the subject of my love' life, okay? Didn't you see enough at the cemetery?" His indigo eyes pleaded with her. "I can't, Hilde…I…I can't take this feeling that my heart has been ripped from my chest anymore. There's no way that I can fall in love with Wufei, only to have something like this happen to me again. My heart just can't take it anymore."

"Shhhh." Hilde wrapped her arms around him, rubbing his back slowly. "I shouldn't have said that, Duo. You've just been through so much, and I thought that maybe Wufei would be the one to help you find the road to happiness again. I just want to see your smiling face again, you know? Not the forced smile you plaster on when ever I see you on the vid-phone."

"Aleana is all I need right now, Hilde. One day I'll find my niche in life, and everything will be right in my world, but I don't see that happening for a long time. I'm just gonna sit back and lick my wounds for awhile."

"Just remember, if you need me, call. I love you." Hilde whispered, turning her head that was laid against Duo's shoulder to kiss him on the cheek. The young American gave a weary smile, placing a chaste kiss on her forehead.

"You better get going. I don't want you to miss your shuttle." He said patting her back; letting her go so he could get off the bed.

"Yeah, I wouldn't want Charlie and Mitch to freak out if I don't show up for work tomorrow. They'd probably put the yard up for sale, and split the money."

"Wouldn't want that to happen." Duo chuckled. "Wait a minute, I'll walk you out to your car." Duo slipped on a wrinkled tee shirt from the floor, frowning that he still had on his dress slacks, that were now just as wrinkled as the shirt.

"Matching ensemble." He shrugged, following Hilde out of his room, and down the short hall that lead to the small living room. They found Wufei snoozing, slumped into the deep cushions of the couch. Duo shook his head, placing a finger to his lips. There was no need to wake the sleeping dragon.

Slipping out quietly, Duo still in his stocking feet, they took the old, creaky stairway down to the street level. Hilde threw her small overnight bag into the passenger seat before turning to her friend.

"If you need anything, you'll let me know, right?" She asked, leaning her back against the car door.

Duo nodded his head. "Yeah, you'll be the first one I call. Promise." They exchanged tight hugs, both of them smiling for the other's benefit, attempting to lift the melancholy mood surrounding them.

"Laters." She grinned, climbing into the small rental car. Duo gave her a wave as the old heap started, the gears grinding loudly before pulling away from the curb.

"You shouldn't be out here without your shoes, young man." Duo bowed his head at the voice, smirking slightly behind his hair.

"Yes, Mrs. Kastel. I'm heading back to my apartment right now." Duo answered the woman that lived in the next building over from his. He could still hear her scolding and rambling at the other people that were on the street as he made the climb up the stairs to the front doors.

­­­­­­­­­­

Duo had left the dark haired teen sleeping on his worn couch, as he busied himself around the tiny apartment. His bedroom was now back in order, the bathroom cleaned, and the small amounts of clutter that had accumulated over the last few days put away.

He stood and looked around his shabby apartment, mentally comparing it to the one he had shared with Heero two years before. Being on a colony, it was much newer than this building, that had been built not long before the colonies had been developed. It was just over 200 years old, and despite the crumbling façade, creaky stairways, and faulty plumbing, it was in surprisingly good condition for such an old structure. It was obvious that the wars had never touched this neighborhood, which was one of the selling factors in his decision to settle there.

Picturing their modern townhouse with sleek black and chrome furniture, not to mention the opulence that Heero was certainly living in now at the L4 Winner mansion, Duo couldn't imagine his former lover relaxing comfortably in his current surroundings. He glanced at the sleeping boy on his couch, and smiled at how easily Wufei had accepted his living situation. If he had been disgusted by the poor conditions he lived in, Wufei had never made it known.

He sat down in the living room with a silent sigh, pulling notes and text books from his ragged backpack. He had school work to catch up with, and now was the perfect time to sit down and get it over with. He would pick up Aleana from Mrs. Gregory's as soon as he finished. He hardly had the time to study lately, and with no one counting on him for their every need, it seemed to be the perfect time.

Wufei watched the braided teen from under his dark lashes. He wasn't sure what woke him, but the peaceful sight of Duo studying in the old rickety armchair made him stay quiet. He wanted to smirk as Duo chewed on the pen cap, fingers flipping pages in a thick book that sat on the arm of the chair.

Out of all of them, Duo seemed to be the most changed. While the rest seemed to be living comfortably, Duo worked two jobs, went to college and took care of two babies with some minor help from Mrs. Gregory a few buildings down. Granted, the American had to borrow money to help scrape by every so often, but he did his best to make ends meet with what he had, and provide a loving home to the orphan girls.

How many of them could even do that? Quatre, Trowa and Heero certainly had the means to take in children, and go to school while living off the fortune that Quatre's family had. But with their lifestyle, Wufei couldn't imagine those three with a child or two. Hell, he couldn't imagine himself with a child with his work schedule. It was highly impossible! But Duo, he made the time some how.

"You need glasses, Duo." Wufei mumbled, his eyes finally opening with a hint of sleepy haze. The braided teen frowned, cocking his head to the side to regard his friend that was sunk deeply into the couch not far from him.

"Just bad lighting in here. I don't need em. I don't want to look like a total nerd now, do I?" Duo chuckled, twirling his pen between nimble fingers. Was he really squinting to see the words on the pages?

"Don't come to me whining when you can't see correctly." Wufei sniffed, stretching out his stiff muscles as he stood. He absently checked his wristwatch, noting that he still had time before he was required to be at the shuttle port. Maybe he could fix dinner for Duo, and accompany him when picking up Aleana before he left.

"Pffft, believe me, I won't come whining to anyone about insignificant problems like that in the future. This week tops everything that I've ever lived through." Duo blew his bangs away from his eyes, his nose once again buried in the book he was studying. Wufei shook his head, a few strands from his ponytail drifted loose from its elastic band.

"I wouldn't mind at all, Duo. Just remember, if you need me, I'll be there." The Chinese teen dropped his hand to Duo's shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. Indigo eyes closed, a deep breath taken.

"Thanks, Wu. You've been my rock this week. I don't know if I could have made it without you. Duo patted the hand that was still on his shoulder, returning the comfort and strength he received from it.

Three hours before their shuttle was scheduled to leave, the sleek limousine glided up to the curb in front of Duo's apartment building. Quatre refused to leave Earth without saying goodbye to his friends properly. Heero had refused to go, stating that he could be left at either the hotel, or at the shuttle port on the Winners' luxurious shuttle. The blond businessman shot down that idea quickly.

"I still say that this isn't a good idea." Heero mumbled, stepping out on the curb right behind Trowa. The taller teen gave him a small encouraging smile, placing his hand on the small of Heero's back, urging him to follow their blond lover.

"It's time to start the healing process. Things will be alright for all of us."

"I wish I could believe that."

"You will."

Wufei answered the soft knock at the door, and Quatre was surprised to see the usually crisp, immaculately dressed Preventers agent with wisps of hair falling loose from his ponytail, and his clothes disheveled and wrinkled. Sharp dark eyes narrowed when he saw who was standing on the threshold of Duo's apartment.

"Hello, Wufei. We wanted to say goodbye to you and Duo before we left tonight. Is he awake?" Quatre asked, quietly.

Before the Chinese boy could respond, Duo stepped up behind him, grasping the door and opening it wide for the three other ex-pilots to enter. "C'mon in. It's okay."

Quatre and Trowa stepped through the door, followed reluctantly by Heero, whose eyes never left the worn carpeting underneath his feet. He stood against the wall, just inside the door, his arms held rigidly at his sides, fists clenched with tension, as the other two young men entered the room. Trowa sat down on the near end of the overstuffed couch, while Quatre lit on the rounded arm next to him.

Quiet conversation floated unnoticed in the air around him, as Duo's eyes never left his study of the form of his first love, leaned against the cracked and peeling wall. He had yet to see Heero's eyes since he'd entered the apartment, and he found himself longing for the boy to raise his gaze, so that he could see what the boy was feeling. As schooled as he was in keeping his features impassive, his true emotions could always be seen within his endlessly deep blue eyes.

As if he'd heard the braided boy's thoughts, Heero briefly raised his gaze to meet Duo's. He looked away quickly, swallowing the uncertainty that he felt after the scene that had occurred at the cemetery that morning. He met pensive indigo eyes once again, and locked with them. He reached one hand toward his ex-lover, and then abruptly drew it back to his side.

"Can we talk, Heero?" Duo said in a quiet voice. "I think we have some things that still need to be said."

The dark haired boy nodded wordlessly, and followed Duo down the short walkway to his bedroom.

Wufei stood to intercept the two retreating figures, but was stopped by a strong hand on his elbow, and he turned to meet the concerned faces of Trowa and Quatre. The acrobat released his hold, but urged the Chinese boy to sit back down on the couch.

"Wufei, let them go, they both need this. They need to decide whether or not what they had between them is over. I don't know how much Duo told you, but what happened two years ago was one huge misunderstanding."

"He didn't tell me anything. He was basically incoherent at the cemetery, and when we returned here, the man just collapsed! Would someone _please_ tell me what the hell this is all about?"

Duo shut the door behind himself, and switched on the lamp next to the bed, before sitting down with his back to the headboard, and his feet pulled up on the mattress. The other boy's eyes swept the small room, looking for another piece of furniture to sit on. Finding none, he remained standing stiffly, just inside the room.

"Sit down, Heero, I won't bite." The braided boy said wearily, as he gestured to the end of the bed with one socked foot.

He did as he was instructed, turning to face Duo with one leg bent at the knee, curled up onto the bed, while his other foot remained on the floor. He stared at the braided American for a few long moments, before deciding to take the bull by the horns, and just say what he needed to say.

"I'm sorry, Duo." He began, surprised by the conviction in his own voice. "I should have waited for you. I don't know why I didn't, why I didn't have faith in you to return…"

He was interrupted when Duo leaned forward, curling his arms around his knees, his bright eyes sparkling fervently. "Don't apologize; it wasn't your fault, Heero! I fucked up, that's all there is to it. I got scared, so I ran. I didn't tell you where I was going, or when I'd be back, or even that I was coming back at all!"

"In my half-assed, idiotic, booze-soaked brain, I thought I was doing the best thing for us." He continued. "I thought that I'd get my shit together in a couple of weeks, and come on back to you. It never entered my mind that you'd think I'd run off and left you for good. I had no idea that it would take so long to dry out; I guess I lost track of time. I kept expecting you to show up on my doorstep and drag my sorry ass back home."

"I looked everywhere I could think of, trying to find you." Heero replied, quietly. "I searched every salvage yard in the colonies, talked to Howard, found every Sweeper in space, but no one had heard from you, or knew where you were. I had Relena helping me through her channels here on Earth, and even had Zechs looking for you on Mars! You just disappeared! I didn't know if you were dead or alive, or if you'd left me for someone else, or what the hell happened!"

He swallowed, and took a deep breath before going on. "I swear to you, Duo, I've never been so afraid in my life! I'd spent years being trained not to succumb to my emotions, then when I finally broke free of that mindset, when you had at last been able to help me feel again, all those emotions that had been turned loose in me went out of control when I lost you!"

He had to stop his impassioned speech, as he relived flashes of those horrible first months after Duo had left him. He just shook his head in defeat, his pain-filled eyes never leaving those of his former lover.

"Shit, Heero. I'm so sorry." Duo whispered. "I never meant to hurt you. I was thoughtless, and it was selfish of me to just expect you to sit up there twiddling your thumbs, waiting for me to come back. I don't blame you for hooking up with Q and Tro."

Heero smiled weakly. "I went to them to beg Quatre for money to hire private detectives on Earth. After I'd scoured all the colonies, I just knew you had to be down here somewhere. I was desperate, and they saw that I was just about at my wit's end. I wasn't sleeping, was barely eating, all I could think about was finding you. They convinced me that I was just hurting myself, and that if you didn't want to be found, there was no way I'd find you even with all of the Winner fortunes at my disposal. They took me in, they took care of me…"

"So I guess I have them to blame, then, huh? Think I'm gonna kick a little Arabian ass." Duo chuckled bitterly.

"I think that we are all to blame, Duo. It just wasn't meant to be."

Duo looked up at him, a melancholy smile on his face. "I still love you, ya know. I mean, I know that you're with them, and you're happy; I dealt with that awhile back. I don't know why it hit me so hard at the cemetery today, I guess just everything happening all at once."

He wiped away a single tear that found its way down his cheek. "Shit, I've always said boys don't cry,' haven't I? I've boo-hooed enough in the past coupla days for a lifetime, I think."

Heero opened his arms, and Duo smiled, uncurling his legs and moving across the space between them to return the offered embrace. "I love you, too, Duo. No matter what happens, I always will. It just wasn't in the stars for us. We weren't meant to be."

"I think you're right." Duo sniffled, pulling out of the embrace. "I know this is the corniest, most cliché thing in the universe to say, but can we still be friends? I miss you, ya know."

"I miss you, too." Heero said, leaning in to brush his lips with a chaste kiss.

Duo smiled a true, happy smile for the first time in weeks as Heero drew back. "Ok, friend'" he snorted, "we'd better get back out there before your boy toys start to get worried about what's going on back here."

The entire mood hanging over the small apartment changed from that of heavy sorrow to lighthearted camaraderie, as the five close friends rejoiced in their strengthened bonds. It was soon time for the three colony dwellers to leave for the shuttle port, and all of the boys were sad to part ways, after so long being apart. Promises were made on all sides to keep in closer contact, and warm hugs were exchanged between all of them.

Duo and Heero held their embrace for many long moments, before separating with the knowledge that their broken hearts were both on the mend, and that they would see each other again, soon.

Wufei replaced the phone receiver, noting that Duo had returned from putting the red-haired cherub named Aleana to bed.

"My cab should be here in ten minutes." Wufei said, shuffling his two small bags near the door.

This was it. It was his time to say good-bye to Duo. His heart grew a little heavy at the thought of leaving.

"Are you sure that you have everything? I wouldn't want you to forget something important here." Duo asked, collapsing back into the worn couch, the overstuffed cushions almost swallowing him in.

"I'm sure. If not, then it wasn't important to begin with." He wanted to wince with those words. He was forgetting something…a certain longhaired American that was more than welcome to come home with him. He was afraid to admit it, but this little reunion had shed a new light on Duo, one that he couldn't shake. Was he falling in love with him?

"Yeah, I suppose you're right." Duo answered, the room lapsing into an almost uncomfortable silence. Wufei looked at his watch for the thousandth time, knowing he couldn't delay the inevitable.

"I have to go, Duo." He whispered, draping his coat across his forearm. The longhaired teen nodded, wiggling to free himself from the couch cushions.

"Thanks for everything, Wu. I'll never forget what you've done for me." Duo approached the dark haired teen, his eyes locked to the floor.

"As I've said before, if you need anything or just want to talk, you know how to contact me." Wufei picked up his bags, slinging the shoulder straps into place. His hand was on the doorknob when he felt arms wrap around him. He turned awkwardly in the embrace, his chin resting on Duo's shoulder.

"Thank you from the bottom of my heart." Duo whispered, kissing Wufei on the cheek, squeezing him tightly one last time before releasing him.

Wufei was unsure what to think, but he smiled warmly, bowing his head.

"Good bye, Duo Maxwell. We'll see each other soon." And with that, the door was opened and closed, the dark haired teen slipping silently off into the night to return home.

"Bye, Fei."

End of Life Loves a Tragedy' for the Remember When arc.


	8. Open Road part 1

We do not own the rights to GW! Never have and never will!

Warnings: Angst, language, slight OOC

Archived at: AFF, MM, and 

Part one of 'Open Road' by Sparkling Diamond PG-SSM & Raven Layne

January 13, 200 A.C.

Duo cast one last look around the empty apartment that he had called his home for the past couple of years. All of his and Aleana's personal belongings were packed away in the back of an old station wagon that Mrs. Gregory had given him before she left.

Mrs. Gregory had moved just three months ago, to be with her youngest daughter to help with the set of twins that she was about to deliver. Duo understood how happy it made the older woman to be needed by her family, especially since it had been nearly four years since the last of her children had left home, leaving her alone in the city. She had "adopted" him shortly after he had moved into the run-down apartment complex, so to him, having Mrs. Gregory watch Aleana was like leaving her with her grandmother. He was happy that she would be with her real family, but the afternoon spent packing up her possessions before her son-in-law arrived to move her to the Seattle area was bittersweet.

Not long after her leaving, the braided American found his life nearly spinning out of control. The desperation that was closing in on him was almost as bad as when he first moved to Earth, but rather than alcohol and a feeling of disconnection from the world, this time it was even more personal. It was the daily battle of juggling work and school, and it was the feeling of guilt he had every day that he had to leave Aleana for hours on end. She was getting older, and wanted more attention from him than he was able to give her. The bottle started to beckon him nightly in his dreams.

The holidays were anything but happy. With Mrs. Gregory gone, it was a struggle to find decent childcare that could accommodate his hours, and when he did find it, he found that it cost an arm and a leg. He wouldn't trust just anyone with his Sunshine, though, so he felt it a worthy expense, and paid the high fees.

He was laid off from his security job at the beginning of December, and he failed an English class. To top it all off, money was beginning to become tight again. He had received a huge settlement from the hospital that evidently Quatre had fought for, but a large chunk of that was given back into the poor community, mostly to the children's clinic where he had first found Miranda. The majority of the rest was put away, locked into a trust fund where he couldn't touch it. That was all for Aleana when she was old enough. Of course he had kept some for himself and Aleana to live on; he didn't think it was wise to save a large amount of money for her adulthood, but have her suffer as a child, but even his skills at budgeting were failing him, now.

The day that really shook Duo to the core was seven days in to the New Year, the morning he woke to find himself lying on the kitchen floor, an empty bottle of whiskey shattered close by. He remembered the whimper that escaped his throat, a hand coming up to muffle the noise as he tried to scramble himself up on shaking legs.

"What have I done? Oh, God!" He squeezed his eyes tightly, hoping that when he opened them, he'd find that it was nothing but another of his dreams. No such luck. He looked at the shambles of his kitchen, broken glass on the floor, refrigerator door standing open, one of the chairs at the table overturned. He heard a small sound coming from the back of the apartment that broke his gaze from the room around him.

He found his daughter curled up in her crib, her beautiful face streaked with tears, and her hands clutching her favorite bunny close to her chest.

"Oh, Aleana. I'm so sorry, sweetie. Daddy is so damn sorry." He groaned, running his fingers gently through her messy red curls of hair. Her green eyes blinked, swiveling to meet his.

"Dada…" Her voice was raspy, nothing more than a whisper, no doubt caused from crying and screaming through the night. Duo choked on a sob, shaking his head in disbelief. How could he have been so stupid? How could he have done this to his precious girl?

"Jesus! Oh, Sunshine. Please forgive me? Please, please forgive Daddy for what I've done to you." He choked again, lifting the one year old out of the battered second hand crib. He held her close to his chest, rocking her in a soothing motion. She mumbled incoherently against his shoulder, her small hands grabbing at the long braid.

"I promised I wouldn't drink again…damn it! How could I?"

The rest of that day, Duo spent wallowing in guilt. He noticed the blinking light on his vid-phone, signaling that messages were waiting, but he was too chicken shit to do anything about them. He deleted them without another thought.

Now here he stood, six days later, with his bags packed. He didn't have the foggiest idea of where he was going, but he figured he would find out when he got there.

Heero punched the disconnect button on the vid-phone; a concerned look crossed his face. He had been trying to reach Duo since after the New Year, but with out any success. He left messages, waited patiently for the braided American to call him back, but each time…nothing.

"Damn it! Where could he be?" Heero muttered under his breath, leaving his office in the security room of the WEI Headquarters. He needed to talk with either one of his lovers. He hoped that maybe one of them had talked to Duo recently.

Stalking past businessmen and women who literally jumped out of his way as he passed, Heero headed straight for the elevator bank, jabbing a finger angrily at the top floor button. He wanted to know where Duo was, and he wanted to know now.

Quatre sat at his large mahogany desk, shuffling papers and talking on the phone as Heero entered. The blond smiled warmly, holding up a finger for his lover to wait a moment until he finished his conversation.

"I don't care, Larry, just make it happen." He said in an exasperated tone. "Yeah, just do it. Thanks." Quatre snapped, forcing himself not to slam down the receiver of the phone. He raked his fingers through his hair, sighing before looking back up at his lover.

"Hey. What are you doing up here? Not that I'm complaining…" Heero didn't wait for his partner to finish his comments, launching right into what he was there for.

"Have you spoken with Duo lately?"

"Well, the last time I spoke to him, he was very busy."

"When was that?"

"Just after Christmas. I wanted to know if his and Aleana's gifts had arrived all right. We didn't speak for very long, though." The blond frowned, thinking back on the conversation. "Why? Is there something wrong?"

"I've been trying to reach him for some time now. Today I received a disconnected notice when I dialed his number."

Quatre nodded. "I see why you're concerned. He didn't mention anything out of the ordinary to me when we spoke. Has he been in contact with Wufei or Hilde?"

"Chang is away on a mission. Sally stated that he left shortly after the holidays, and was not expected back until after the 22nd of this month."

"And Hilde?"

"Not since Christmas day."

"I wonder if he didn't pay his phone bill, and it was shut off? Long distance isn't cheap."

"I thought of that already. I got into the phone company records, and found that Duo, himself, had canceled the service."

"That's not good." Quatre sat back in his chair, cradling his head in his hands. "Shit, is he running and hiding again?"

"Maybe, I don't know for sure."

"Damn it."

Duo pulled into a rest stop a quarter past the hour of midnight, just outside the city of Albuquerque, with a rumbling stomach and a cranky babe in the backseat. He thanked his lucky stars that the old car and air conditioner had held out for them thus far.

Grabbing the diaper bag, and his own backpack, he scooped up the small redhead, and headed for the restroom building. The girl smiled, probably in relief to be out of the car seat she had been riding in since very early that morning.

"Let's get you changed and we'll find something to eat in those vending machines we just passed."

The rest area was deserted, allowing Duo to set Aleana down to toddle around while he had a sink bath of sorts, and changed his clothes.

"Icky! Daddy really did smell bad, didn't he, Sunshine?" She smiled a toothy grin, clapping her hands at him. He smiled back, throwing a tee shirt over his head, and pulling his long braid out through the neck.

"Your turn!" She giggled loudly as he assaulted her tummy with tickling fingers. Hoisting her up, he sat her down on the edge of the sink, popping her shirt over her head and washing her down quickly with a cool washcloth.

"This will make you feel a lot better."

"Dada!"

"Yup, that's my name, don't wear it out!" Aleana squirmed, testing Duo's ability of dressing her. With a quick move, the shirt went over her head, her curls bouncing back into place.

"Done! Now to raid those vending machines! I'm sure we can find a hotel to stay at in the next town we come across."

Trowa was just returning from the large kennels outside of the main part of the house when he spotted his chocolate haired lover sitting on the back patio, laptop on the marble topped table. This was not unusual, but the furrowed brows, and determined look on his face was.

"Find anything yet?" He kept his voice low, not wanting to disturb Heero's concentration.

"No. It seems all services to his apartment have been shut off. Ashcroft Security's files show that he was laid off at the beginning of December. The Daily Grind, the coffee shop he works at, hasn't seen him in over a week, but he hasn't notified them that he was quitting."

"There might be a good explanation for all of this. Don't worry yourself too much."

"How can you be so calm about this?" Heero asked, closing his laptop. Trowa's lips quirked upwards into a tiny smile as his hands caressed his lover's tense shoulders.

"Because he's a big boy, and can take care of himself. Have faith in him, Heero. I'm sure he'll turn up soon. Until then, you and Quat have to calm down, and stop worrying like a couple of mother hens."

"It's hard not to worry." Heero sighed, swiping at some of his bangs. "Especially after everything that has happened."

"Yes, but I have faith in him. You should as well. Come, it's almost dinner time, and you know how Quat gets when we're late."

"True. Wouldn't want to make the master wait for us." Heero pushed back his chair, claiming a kiss from his tall lover before retrieving his laptop and hurrying inside.

"Master, huh? I'll show both of them, tonight, who the real master is." Trowa smirked, pushing the chair against the table, following the same path his messy haired lover had taken.

The outskirts of Amarillo seemed like a good place to stop for a late lunch. The small roadside diner looked friendly enough, but the multitude of motorcycles that stood out front worried the braided American just a little. He could keep driving until the next town, and listen to his daughter whimper in the back seat, or they could stop and hope that there wouldn't be any trouble.

Pulling up next to some classic roadsters, Duo parked the car, getting out to stretch himself before opening the back door to get Aleana out. The babe was all smiles as Daddy lifted her out of the car seat, the cool wind and bright sun caressing her unruly red hair.

Taking a deep breath, Duo entered the small diner, the chime of bells tinkling as the door opened. Some of the patrons turn to look at the newcomers, but didn't spare a second glance as Duo made his way to an open table, grabbing an old high chair on the way.

He placed the high chair at the end of the table, moving it closer to himself and away from the excessively tattooed, burly gang of bikers that took up most of the diner's seating. Some were loud, a little on the rowdy side, but the back half of the dining area seemed quiet for the time being.

"Hi, what can I get you today?" Duo looked up in surprise, somewhat startled to have a server at their table so quickly in such a busy place.

"Uh, yeah." Duo snatched up a dilapidated menu, skimming it quickly before putting it back in the little rack near the bottled condiments.

"How about the burger and fries for me, and a small side order of fries for the ray of sunshine here." Duo beamed his mega watt smile at the middle-aged waitress as she took down the order.

"Anything to drink?" She asked, pencil poised over the small tablet of paper in hand. Duo cringed at the question, his mind still raw with the knowledge of his drinking binge just over a week and a half ago.

"Water, please. Oh, and if you have any juice, a small glass would be great." Duo requested politely, digging around in Aleana's diaper bag for her training cup.

"Sure. I'll bring that right out." The waitress smiled, ripping off the order from her tablet to send back to the kitchen.

Duo didn't have to wait long for the drinks to arrive. He immediately put the apple juice into Aleana's training cup, and placed it on the tray in front of her. She cooed, grabbing the cup with enthusiasm. He shook his head, a silly grin plastered to his face.

"Now is as good a time as any." Duo noted, pulling out a small note pad with a running column of numbers being kept there. He had allotted himself so much money for the trip, and while he still had plenty left, he didn't want to see any of it go to waste by any means.

The last hotel had been a bit more expensive than the rest, but it was important that they had some place comfortable to unwind and sleep. He felt twinges of guilt rise in his chest. He had broken into a few vending machines along the way, not taking any money, just snacks and drinks to satisfy them on the long road in between towns and cities.

He frowned to himself, it seemed his street persona was slipping back into place along the way. Was that really what he wanted his daughter to see? In the past couple of weeks, he'd regressed back to both drinking and thieving. He'd come so far away from the person that he'd been before he'd been back on Earth, and he knew that he couldn't allow himself to slip back to those old habits if he wanted to raise Aleana properly.

Duo's attention was snapped back into the present when he realized someone was talking loudly, and it was directed towards him.

"Hey, man. Didn't you hear me?" Duo turned his indigo eyes toward the muscular man that was turned in the booth just in front of him.

"I'm sorry, can I help you?" Duo replied, in semi-shock as he looked towards Aleana, seeing that she was giggling up a storm. What really shocked him was the big guy in the same booth playing a game of peek-a-boo with his daughter.

"I asked what her name was." The biker stated once again, pointing towards the baby, who had a huge toothy grin.

"Oh, it's Aleana." Duo replied after hesitating a moment. He wasn't sure it was a good idea to talk with such people, but he was afraid that if he didn't answer, something might happen.

"She's cute. I have a niece about her age up in Minnesota." A third biker piped in.

All in all, the stop at the old roadside diner was good. The bikers were all friendly, and the food was great. Aleana especially enjoyed her two hours of freedom from the hellish car seat. The bikers suggested routes for the braided American, pointing out the best roads, places to stay, and where to watch for speed traps.

Duo paid his check, balancing his daughter on his hip as he made his way back to the station wagon. He smiled and waved as some of the bikers left the parking lot, their destination unknown.

"Hey, this is for your kid." Duo turned in surprise, noting that it was the one they called 'Bear' the oldest biker of the group. The sun bounced off his black leather riding attire, as he strode towards them, a small stuffed teddy bear in hand. He smiled through his straggly salt and pepper beard as he handed the soft plush animal directly to Aleana.

"Whoa, thanks. Can you say thank you, Aleana?" Duo coaxed, smiling brilliantly.

"Da!"

"No, thank you. Have a safe trip, Duo Maxwell." Duo's eyes widened in surprise, he hadn't mentioned his name to any of them.

"How?"

"War heroes never fade away, and are never forgotten. God speed." Bear started his motorcycle and was gone, leaving a stunned Duo standing in the parking lot.

Duo smiled, turning the radio up a little louder. It was mid-day, and the road stretched for hundreds of miles in front of him. They were just entering the fifth state on their travels, and all seemed right.

The hotels that they'd been staying at were second rate, but all he wanted was a comfortable bed and a warm shower after driving so long. Aleana certainly didn't mind; she was too young to demand silk sheets and French soaps, Duo mused. She had her moments when all she wanted was to get out of the car, and just walk on her chubby little baby legs. Duo didn't blame her. He needed to get out and stretch sometimes, too.

The front seat of the old station wagon was littered with candy wrappers, empty potato chip bags, and soda pop cans and bottles. The back seat was faring a lot better than the front, but the seats still had crackers and cereal that little Aleana had dropped from her tiny fingers. Duo had shrugged it off. He could clean it all up when he got to where he was going.

Duo sang off key, bobbing his head to the music, his only form of entertainment for the young lass in the back seat. She laughed, clapping her small hands. Sometimes her Daddy was really silly.

"Now entering Missouri." Duo murmured, his hands tightening on the wheel. He knew where he was going, but he didn't want to admit it to himself just yet.

"Ok, Stinkerbutt. Next town we hit, we're going to get some warmer clothes for both of us. Can't believe I forgot what kind of weather we'd be driving right into in the middle of January!"

Trowa found his dark haired lover in his private room, fingers clamoring away at the keyboard once again. Ever since Duo had come up _'missing'_, Heero spent nearly all of his free time trying to track the former DeathScythe pilot. The atmosphere in their grand home had become tense in the past few days, as both of his partners were frazzled and worried over the disappearance of one Duo Maxwell.

"You know if Quatre sees you with that animal in here, he'll make you sleep on the couch." Heero stated, sparing a glance at Trowa, and the young panther in his arms.

"Maybe so, but it isn't like I'm getting any action, anyway. What's the difference?" Trowa shrugged, juggling the long black cat in his arms.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Heero growled, eyes never leaving the computer screen in front of him.

"Exactly what it sounded like. The way you and Quat have been lately, I can just forget about having a sex life. Both of you are either too busy chasing down the elusive Maxwell, or have your noses buried in your work." He shrugged again. "Nothing I can't handle by myself."

"Don't tell me you're not worried about this."

"Honestly, Heero, I'm not. Like I've said before, Duo's a big boy, he can take care of himself and the baby just fine. I don't see why you're devoting so much time and energy into this. Duo will show up where you least expect him."

"Yeah, like a morgue or a hospital." Trowa shook his head at his lover, his frustration rising even further. Why couldn't he make his partners see that Duo didn't need a baby sitter?

"Fine, whatever. If either one of you need me, I'll be on the couch in the library." The tall acrobat stalked out of the room, heading back out to the large kennels to put away the cat.

The study that Quatre used as a home office was still brightly lit as Trowa strode down the hall. He didn't even bother stopping to talk with his blond lover. He was even more stubborn than Heero at times, and this was one of them. Why waste his breath on either of them? Nothing useful ever came of talking to brick walls.

He had his own theories as to what was happening, but they were constantly shot down every time he mentioned them. Personally, considering all the problems he'd had over the past six months, and all the interference from the well-meaning, yet very nosy Heero and Quatre that Duo had been putting up with, Trowa knew that he'd probably disappear for awhile, too. You simply can't go from broken hearted to cheerfully happy overnight. He didn't blame Duo one bit for needing some space to heal, away from the prying eyes of his lovers.

"I'm surprised that they haven't called up a shuttle to go to Earth yet." A wistful smile appeared on his lips. "I shouldn't say that too loud, they just might."

It was after 3 am, and he was bone weary. The mission had been a success, the bad guys were locked away, and all Preventers involved in the case had entered their final reports and headed home. Commander Chang Wufei dropped his duffle bag near the front door of his modest two-bedroom apartment in Baltimore, Maryland, and sighed in relief.

First item on his agenda was a hot meal, then a hotter shower, and finally a long date with his mattress. Everything else could wait until he woke up some time the next afternoon.

Shuffling his feet into the kitchen, he yanked open the refrigerator door, inspecting his supplies. He wasn't surprised to find it empty of everything but condiments, batteries, and a couple of cans of beer. He had been gone nearly a month, and cleaned all the perishables out before he left.

"Shit." He muttered under his breath, closing the door, and walking towards the pantry. He knew he had some instant noodles that, while lacking much flavor, would at least fill him up.

"Catch up on the bills, buy some groceries, and send my uniforms to the cleaners. And here I thought I'd get a day off." He grumbled under his breath, snagging the elastic band from his hair. He scrubbed his ebony locks in frustration before getting a small pan out, and filling it with water for the package of instant noodles now laying on the counter top.

After eating his tasteless ramen, he spent half an hour in a blissfully hot shower. He had slipped into his favorite terry cloth robe, and was towel drying his hair when the buzzer of the front door sounded. Glancing towards the clock on the bathroom wall, Wufei huffed in irritation.

"Who the hell would be visiting my ass at this time of morning? I swear if it's Sally, I'm going to…" Wufei threw open the door, his rant died in his throat when he saw who was standing on the other side.

"Hey Fei. I was in the neighborhood, thought I'd stop by." Duo smiled sheepishly, managing only a tiny wave with a sleeping baby in his arms.

"Duo? What the hell are you doing here? Especially at quarter after four in the morning." Wufei asked, hand still frozen on the doorknob.

"Well, if you'll let me in, I'll be glad to tell you. It's a little too cold out here to be discussing stuff." Duo's eyes looked to the snow at his feet, before once again meeting the surprised dark eyes of his friend. "It's winter here on the East Coast, ya know?"

The Chinese teen nodded, stepping away from the door to let the braided boy inside.

Duo glanced around the entryway leading into the warm looking living room, adjusting his hold on Aleana ever so slightly. He couldn't believe he was there, standing in Wufei's apartment.

"Duo, what are you doing here?" Wufei asked again, carefully taking the sleeping girl into his arms so that Duo could take off his winter coat.

The braided American hung the coat on a peg in the entryway, then followed Wufei into the living room to take a seat on the couch next to him. Duo hesitated slightly, looking down at the Chinese boy who held his daughter so carefully, stroking the sleeping girl's curls tenderly.

"Well, would you believe me if I tell you I'm on vacation?" Duo asked hopefully, sitting down on the comfortable sofa, knowing quite well that his friend would shoot that explanation down in a heartbeat.

Wufei shook his head with a negative grunt, his loose, damp hair settling in his line of sight. There was no way he would believe that story at all. He knew Duo better than that.

He tossed his head back to get the offending hair out of his face, careful not to disturb the cherub in his arms.

"Do you have a place to stay?"

"Well, I…"

"Never mind. That was a stupid question for me to ask. I have a spare bedroom, although all that I have in there is a futon mattress. You can use that if you like." He stood up to guide his friend to the guest room, but stopped when he felt the sleeve of his robe tugged lightly.

"Is this a bad time, Wu? I'm really sorry to have just showed up on your doorstep, I guess I didn't put much thought into coming here without calling first." Duo's brow furrowed with anxiety, his lips formed just the slightest of pouts.

Wufei let out a breath, and slumped his shoulders. "No, of course not, Duo. I'm happy to see you, and am pleased that you came. I just got home from a very long mission a little over an hour ago, and I'm exhausted. I'm afraid that my host skills are a little lacking right now."

The braided boy smiled a tired smile up at him, and let go of his robe. "Ok, I'm glad you aren't pissed at me for just showing up. I think we both need some sleep, then maybe we can talk tomorrow or something? Aleana has been asleep for a while now, and I've been driving for almost sixteen hours…"

"I can tell, Duo." He said, wrinkling his nose dramatically. "Follow me, and we'll get Aleana down on the futon, then I'll show you to the bathroom. You could use a shower, too; you're ripe."

Duo snorted, but got up to follow his friend to the promised shower and rest.

Twenty minutes later, his guests were resting peacefully in the spare room next to his. Wufei blew out a sigh, still baffled as to why Duo had shown up unexpectedly at his doorstep. The mystery of Duo's obvious cross-country trek was enough to raise many questions as to why Duo was running, and whether something had happened to the boy or his daughter to spur the trip to see him. As physically exhausted as he was, he knew that he wouldn't find sleep easily with so many thoughts and questions whirling in his brain.

He sat down at his desk, in a small study just off of the kitchen, and began booting up his computer, and scrolling through the messages that were waiting on the vid phone. He took notice of the number of e-mails and phone calls that had come from the same two people. Heero Yuy and Quatre Winner.

He had just clicked on the first e-mail from Heero when his vid-phone rang, startling him.

"Shit, this is turning into a circus." He grumbled, hitting the receive button on the vid-phone.

"Chang."

"Yuy." He grunted back. "You'd better have a good reason for calling me this early."

"It's Duo. Have you had contact with him? I know that you just returned from a mission tonight. I've been keeping in contact with Une and Sally, hoping that maybe one of them had heard from him."

"Duo seems fine. He and Aleana just showed up at my doorstep less than an hour ago." Wufei didn't miss the look of utter relief that passed over Heero's face. "He didn't tell me why he was here, though. He just said he had driven sixteen hours today, and was exhausted, and he'd tell me the morning. What's been going on?"

"I hope you have a few minutes."

"I do. Now tell me why I have Duo and the baby here…"


	9. Open Road part 2

We do not own the rights to GW! Never have and never will!

Warnings: Angst, language, slight OOC

Archived at: AFF, MM, and 

Open Road part 2

"Ow! Fuck!" Wufei yelped, grabbing for his left eye. A small laugh, and then a thump caught his still sleep-laden mind before he could curse again. On the floor staring back up at him sat Aleana, toothy smile and all.

"If you wanted my attention, you have it now." The Chinese teen rubbed at his sore eye, wiping away the water quickly. "Where's your Daddy? Does he know you're in here torturing me?"

"Wu!" She squealed loudly, climbing back on her tiny feet, fisting her hands in the soft blankets of the bed. Wufei arched an eyebrow at the small tot, surprised at her butchered use of his name.

"Yup, definitely a Maxwell." He mumbled, pulling back the blankets to get out of bed. "You're lucky that I didn't sleep in the nude today." He said, grabbing his black dragon embroidered robe from the end of the bed.

Aleana clapped her hands, happy that someone was finally up to pay attention to her. The dark haired teen scooped her up, smiling when the toddler smacked a wet kiss on his cheek before he left the bedroom. Stopping briefly at the doorway of the spare bedroom, he confirmed that Duo was still sprawled out on the futon, snoring lightly.

"How about breakfast?" Wufei whispered, closing the door silently. "We'll let your Daddy sleep for a little while longer."

Without her crib, Aleana found out quickly that she could escape to explore her new surroundings. Wufei also found this out when his bare feet came into contact with the dirt that belonged to a potted plant near the hallway entrance.

"Did you do this?" He asked in mock anger, giving her tummy a tickle.

"Wu!" She wiggled in vain to get away from those fingers.

"I'll take that as a yes. What else did you get into while everyone else was asleep, hmm?" Wufei stepped around the black dirt, entering the living room area to see that the diaper bag was tipped over. Toys and 'cheese doodles' were strewn in the corner where Duo had placed the bag the night before.

"So, I'm guessing you helped yourself to breakfast? Those things are not very nutritious at all." Wufei sighed, placing the toddler down so that he could fetch a broom and dustpan from the utility closet just off of the kitchen. "I'm afraid I don't have much in the way of food at the moment, either."

"I'm going to have to Aleana-proof this apartment. There are way too many bad things that she could get into to cause a great amount of mischief with." Wufei spoke out loud to himself, watching Aleana out of the corner of his eye as he cleaned up the dirt before it spread.

Toys clanked together as Wufei entered the kitchen, dumping the dirt into the trashcan. He swept through the cabinets, remembering his own search for edibles the night before, now finding nothing more than canned vegetables.

"I see the grocery fairy didn't visit overnight." He grumbled. "If I'd known she'd be here today, I wouldn't have eaten those noodles."

He settled on a can of peas and carrots, warming them in a saucepan, while in the meantime making a pot of much needed morning coffee. He had just fixed his coffee to his liking with a packet of granulated brown sugar, and was savoring the sweet, rich caramel flavor, when he heard a faint cry.

"Shit." He put his coffee cup down a little too hard, leaving the kitchen in a hurry. It had slipped his mind that Aleana was playing in his living room. Finding the corner where she was playing empty, Wufei headed for the hallway, almost running into Duo with an armful of toddler.

Duo looked totally disheveled, yawning and rubbing at his eye with the palm of his unoccupied hand. He wore brand new red and navy plaid flannel pajamas that he had bought somewhere in the Midwest, knowing it would be cold on the East Coast. His normally tidy braid was a mess of fly-away strands of hair, and his bangs had all shifted to the right of his forehead in his sleep. White socks on his feet, a squirming redhead in his arms, and a sleepy smile on his face completed the picture.

Wufei stopped short, smiling back at the sight that could only be described as 'adorable'. "I'm sorry." He chuckled. "She came and woke me up this morning, and I thought we'd leave you to rest a little longer…"

"Nah, don't worry about it." Duo said, shifting Aleana from one hip to the other. "She was just upset that she couldn't get into the bedroom."

He patted the fuzzy sleeper clad bottom of the girl in his arms, made a face that sent her into giggles, and turned around to head back into the spare bedroom. "Someone needs a dry diaper!"

Wufei followed the pair down the hall, pausing in the doorway to watch as Duo laid Aleana on the futon, and began unzipping her sleeper. "She was playing quietly in the living room, and I thought she was fine. I didn't realize that she would go in search of you."

"It's when she's quiet that you have to worry. Isn't that right Miss Mischief?" Duo leaned over and nuzzled Aleana, getting his cheeks slapped with chubby hands. "Hey, Wu, could you grab the diaper bag for me? I left it out in the living room last night, and she's soaked!"

Wufei nodded, quickly fetching the bag, and returning with it. He sat quietly on the edge of the futon, watching as the braided boy struggled to get the diaper on, and then fresh clothes while Aleana did her best to thwart him.

"I have coffee ready if you would like some. I'm afraid I don't have much to eat here. I need to run errands today, and groceries are a top priority." Wufei stood and turned on his heel, leading the way back to the kitchen. Duo followed, frowning slightly before he spoke up.

"It's okay, 'Fei. I mean, hell we just show up on your doorstep in the middle of the night, with no warning. I kinda figured that you'd just turn us around and send us on our way."

The dark haired teen turned quickly, facing his guests. "Never." He said, vehemently. "I would never turn my friends away."

The braided teen nodded, bowing his head. "Sorry. I know you aren't like that. It's just that it was wrong of me to just start out driving all the way out here without asking you if it was okay, first. Kinda arrogant of me to just assume you'd take us in. Guess I'm lucky we didn't get here the night before, huh?" He grinned sheepishly as he walked past Wufei into the kitchen.

"Peas and carrots for breakfast? Guess you really do need to go shopping." Duo sat the toddler on the floor, and began opening cabinet doors in search of a bowl for Aleana.

"Why _did_ you drive all the way here?" Wufei asked, crossing the floor to the counter to clean up his spilled coffee. "You do realize that you've had a lot of people worried about you and Aleana?"

"Yeah, I'm sure Quatre is going out of his mind." Duo bit his lip briefly, pausing the opening and closing of drawers in his hunt for silverware, before continuing. "It was time for different scenery, ya know? Just a lot of bad memories in one place."

"You left without saying a word to your employer. Heero has been…"

"God damn it! I had to leave!" Duo slapped his open palm on the counter, then spun around, shouting. "I got tired of being alone since Mrs. Gregory left! Everyone I know either lives up in space, or clear across the world…" Duo's anger deflated quickly, and he picked up Aleana and sank down onto a kitchen chair.

"I'm a phone call away, Duo." Wufei said, dishing the vegetables into the bowl. He sat the food down quietly on the table in front of his friend, and handed him a spoon.

Realizing that it would be awkward to feed Aleana with a spoon while holding her on his lap, Duo dished out some of the cooled peas and carrots onto the table top for her to eat with her fingers. She cooed and giggled as pea after pea was squashed under her chubby thumb.

"Yeah, I know, but you have a life; a job that keeps you busy. Same with everyone else. I didn't want to bother you with my petty problems." He sighed, then snorted at himself. "I didn't want to burden you with a phone call, but have no problem dropping in unannounced, expecting you to take care of us, apparently."

"You are not a burden, Duo. Have you forgotten that I dropped everything to come to you on a moment's notice, not so long ago?" Wufei asked, sliding a cup of black coffee in front of the other teen.

Duo looked up at him with wide eyes. "I will never forget that as long as I live, 'Fei. I'm still in your debt for…"

"No debts, Duo. You owe me nothing. Friends help friends. If things were reversed, I'm sure you'd say the same thing." Wufei cut in, trying not to remind his friend of the heartbreak that happened half a year ago. He looked down at the toddler still giddily squashing peas, and smiled. "Now would you try to get some of those into her stomach, rather than just smeared all over my table?"

Wufei stood near the front door of the apartment, slipping the shopping list into the pocket of his heavy leather coat. He double-checked to make sure he had his wallet before he headed out the door.

"Are you sure you don't need anything else?" Wufei called out, zipping up his coat and flipping a scarf around his neck.

"I'm sure." Duo answered back before coming around the corner to eye the Chinese man.

"I have my cell on me in case…"

"I know! In case I can think of anything else that Aleana or I should need. You've told me that several times already." Duo gave him a lopsided grin, crossing his arms against his chest.

"I'm just being thorough, and you know it." The dark haired teen groused, picking up his bag of uniforms that needed to be dry-cleaned.

"Sure I do. You wouldn't be Wufei otherwise." Dark eyes rolled, a huff of annoyance was heard.

"So you say." Wufei opened the door, stepping out into the cold and windy weather.

Duo shook his head, turning away from the door. He finally had the chance to get a good look at his friend's apartment. He was honestly surprised at the homey feel the space had. He had expected Wufei to live in austere surroundings, but his living room was furnished with a plush sofa and chairs, upholstered in deep chocolate and wine fabrics.

Built-in bookcases lined one wall, filled with not only books written in both English and Chinese, but many knickknacks and personal items that made the space uniquely Wufei's. Duo was fascinated with the collection of miniature Chinese dragons made of jade, pewter, ceramic and other materials, and gently touched each one as he examined them.

A small office area was situated through an archway just off the living room, and the Chinese teen's sense of style flowed into that room, as well. It was evidenced by the warm, rich woods of his desk, with even more of the small dragons scattered decoratively on the hutch top, and the glass shelves located on the walls.

What caught his eye was the sole photograph in a frame leaning on his desk, next to his laptop. It was the exact same picture he'd had hanging up in his own apartment of both he and Wufei just after the war. His copy was now in a box in the back of the station wagon, as he couldn't part with any of his photos when he sorted his possessions before leaving California. He ran his finger over the top of the mahogany frame, and closed his eyes, feeling his heart warm.

Opening his eyes, and turning away from the picture, his gaze roamed once again over the living room, finding Aleana, her cheek pressed to the cozy Oriental rug, snoozing.

"She has the right idea." He murmured, yawning and stretching before sinking down into the welcoming cushions of the couch.

"A little shut eye sounds good."

A short time later, Duo was awakened by the ringing of the vid-phone in the office area. He jumped up from the couch, making certain that Aleana was still asleep, and quickly made his way to the phone to answer it before it woke the sleeping girl.

Slapping the talk button without looking at the caller's identity on Wufei's private line extension, he gasped when the screen lit up with Heero's image. He wished that he would have just ignored the call, because he had been dreading facing his ex-lover from the moment he woke up on the kitchen floor after his drunken binge.

"Duo." Heero sighed, his shoulders visibly relaxing, and a relieved smile crossing his features. "You're okay."

"Yeah," the braided teen replied quietly, looking at anything but the vid screen. "I'm okay, Heero. Sorry if I worried you."

The expression on Heero's face changed abruptly from relief to concern when he saw the way Duo was avoiding looking at him. "What's wrong, Duo? Why did you leave without a word to anyone? Did someone threaten you? Are you sick? Do you need money, because…"

"No, no, no!" He interrupted in exasperation. "Nothing like that, everything's fine! Peachy keen, even!" He scrubbed his hands over his face wearily, and ran his fingers through his messy bangs, trying to rearrange them into some semblance of order.

"Look at me."

Duo glanced briefly at the screen, before looking away at the photograph on Wufei's desk. It was just long enough for Heero to recognize the despondency in his indigo eyes. It was a look that scared the so-called "perfect soldier." He'd seen it before, and felt just as helpless now in the face of that pain as he did when they still lived together.

"Everything _isn't_ fine. What's wrong, Duo? What happened to make you run this time?" His words were harsh, but the tone of voice he used made Duo feel like a child being chastised.

He sat heavily in the large desk chair, rolling slowly back and forth on the plastic mat that protected the carpet from the wheels. He stroked the tip of his braid over the back of his left hand as he rolled, keeping his eyes averted.

"Duo, don't shut me out. Talk to me. Tell me what's wrong!" Heero was feeling as frustrated now as he had been the entire time Duo was missing. It seemed that just knowing he was alive and well wasn't enough; he needed to know what was going on in Duo's head.

"I can't, Heero. I just don't want to talk about it, can't you accept that, and just let it be?" He finally raised his eyes to meet the deep blue on the vid screen, and was surprised to see the hurt on Heero's face. "Heero…"

Heero sat back in his chair, and just stared at his first love. "Why didn't you call me? If something is wrong, I want to help you." His voice wavered a bit, and his eyes shone with emotion as he struggled to convey his feelings across the very long-distance connection. "Why did you go to Wufei?"

That did it. Any remorse that he felt about making Heero worry, about making him _look_ like that, with his eyes full of a bastard mixture of hurt and reproach was gone in the strike of a match of fury.

"Listen, Yuy!" He hissed, mindful to not wake the baby sleeping in the next room. "You think I could just call you at the drop of a hat, and interrupt your little three-way love fest you've got going up there? I don't think so!"

Heero just watched, flabbergasted, as the furious teen stood up from the chair and leaned forward, jabbing his finger angrily at the vid screen. "You just sit up there in your nice big mansion, with all your servants and chefs, and swimming pools and limousines, and have orgies every night for all I care! You don't know anything about my life, you wouldn't understand, so just stay the fuck out of it!"

He slammed his hand down on the vid-phone's button, disconnecting the call before Heero could respond. Why all that anger toward his ex-lover surfaced so suddenly, and why it was enveloped in so much resentment toward his other two friends dumbfounded the emotionally exhausted teen. He fell into the leather chair once more, and buried his face in his hands.

How could he expect Heero, or even Wufei, to understand what he was going through, when he couldn't understand it himself? All he knew was that everywhere he looked before he left home, all he could see was his own failure.

His life had fallen apart in the six months since the death of Miranda. It seemed that just when he felt that his life was going somewhere, even without money he had felt like he was accomplishing something, one thread would come loose in the tapestry of his world, and all the rest would come unraveled.

His little girl's sudden illness and death had been that fateful thread. Until then, he hadn't had to face the fact that Heero had moved on with his life, choosing to be with Quatre and Trowa. He could just wrap himself up in his schoolwork, his jobs, and his two precious girls, and not allow himself to think of the past.

When Heero showed up with the other two, however, it all came crashing down on him. Seeing him again, touching him, _kissing _him again made his pain rush back to the forefront of his mind. When Heero turned around and left him in that cemetery, after making his hope and spirit soar with that mind-blowing kiss, he thought he'd die. Even as they discussed their parting, alone in his bedroom, and seemed to settle things between them, his heart was breaking. He knew that it was the final break; there was no going back.

He was able to tread water with school, and his jobs at the coffee house and security company for a few weeks, but even after having received the sizeable settlement that Quatre had fought for from the hospital, he couldn't keep up his false façade of strength. His concentration would wander while he was sitting in class, and he was constantly being reprimanded for not following through on his assignments. It wasn't long before his formerly impressive grades began to slip, and he found that he had failed his English course.

His interest in work was slacking as well, and it was apparent when he was fired from the security company that he was falling even deeper into his misery. His only bright spot was Aleana, and the time that he spent at Mrs. Gregory's welcoming home. When she left, it was the straw that broke the camel's back. He had never felt so alone.

Duo shook himself out of his reverie, and stood slowly from the chair. He walked softly to stand and look down at his sleeping cherub, and he knew that he needed to make a drastic change in his life if he were to be the person that he wanted to be, for her.

Walking quietly down the hallway into the bathroom, he shut the door behind himself, leaving it slightly ajar so that he could hear her if she woke. He turned and looked at his reflection in the mirror, and was appalled at what he saw. He didn't even recognize himself anymore. His once vibrant eyes were flat, and emotionless. His skin was dull, his shoulders slumped.

He pulled the braid that he'd worn since he was a small boy forward over his shoulder. It had grown to reach his knees; unbound, his hair fell a few inches above his ankles.

Stroking both hands down its length almost reverently, his mind drifted far away to the memories he'd woven through the heavy strands to carry with him. Faces once loved swam in his mind's eye, of those he'd sworn to seek revenge for. Every one of them smiled.

He felt sure that their souls were at peace, and he'd done everything in his power to be sure that their lives had not been lost in vain. He had always felt responsible for their deaths, but he could now recognize that through the losses of his friends and guardians at Maxwell Church, his alter-ego, Shinigami, had been born. Had the tragedy not fallen on his shoulders, had he died along with them, the war could have had an entirely different outcome.

With those warm memories, mingled all the brutal visions of war he'd experienced. The blood he'd spilled, the lives he'd taken, the beatings he'd been inflicted with, all were presented in his mind through a filter of red.

When those visions faded, they were replaced by the brief instant of happiness that he'd shared with Heero between the Eve war and the hostilities with the return of the Barton Foundation and its young figurehead.

He'd been blissfully happy when Heero agreed to live with him…when they'd shared their feelings for one another after the first war. The first few months were a blur of sex and open-hearted discussions. They'd both unburdened themselves slowly, sharing their past with the other over time. Duo couldn't remember a time when he'd ever felt so happy, or so loved as he did with Heero.

He began drinking for joy; for the euphoria that he felt about life and peace that the alcohol seemed to intensify. He drank more and more as his body quickly built up a tolerance to the drink, and swiftly the liquor began to twist those positive emotions into negative ones, causing him to drink even more. It was a vicious cycle, and he felt that he had to step away from his new life, to clean himself up, if he wanted to truly enjoy it again.

There was no doubt in his mind, now, that everything that had happened after he left was no one's fault but his own. He drove Heero away with his silence, with his abandonment of him. He didn't blame the man for moving on with his life. After all, how could he, a penniless drunk, compare to the likes of Quatre and Trowa? Just because he understood why Heero had given up on him, though, didn't make it any easier to accept.

The bitterness that had swallowed his soul in the last six months needed to be released. The only way that he could be a good father to Aleana, and allow himself to strive to live up to his own goals was to put his past behind him, and start out fresh with a clean canvas.

With a determined nod he gripped the symbol of his past in his hand, and searched the

medicine cabinet, and then the drawers before finding what he was looking for laying next to Wufei's personal shaving essentials. The scissors were meant for trimming, but they would do for what Duo had in mind.

Pulling his braid back with his left hand, his right hand stopped short, blades opened wide. Indigo eyes flashed to the mirror, noticing the tremble that shook his arms. His mind was made up, he couldn't turn back now.

With a single deep breath, the blades closed down on the mass of chestnut hair.

Wufei closed the door quickly behind himself; the bitter cold fighting its way into the apartment. His arms were loaded down with heavy grocery bags, but he managed to toss his set of keys onto the entryway table as he stamped his feet to get rid of the clingy snow. He cringed slightly as he noticed Aleana sound asleep on the floor, one of her thumbs stuck in her mouth. He glanced around for Duo, not finding him before he proceeded into the kitchen to put away his purchases.

Wufei was almost finished loading the canned goods into a cabinet when he heard a clatter from somewhere in the apartment. He was sure he didn't hear Aleana stir, but he remembered what Duo had mentioned earlier about quiet children. With a sigh, he placed the last few cans of vegetables on the counter before investigating the noise.

Aleana still slept peacefully, a fist clutched at the soft yellow blanket that was half covering her. The dark-haired teen frowned, noting that he had not seen his friend since his arrival back home. He figured that Duo would have heard him enter, and volunteered to help put away the groceries.

"Duo?" He called softly, walking down the hallway when he noticed the bathroom door standing slightly ajar.

"Duo?" Wufei tapped lightly on the door. He could hear movement from the bathroom, the sound of heavy breathing setting off alarms in his head. "Is everything alright?"

A retching noise followed, and Wufei didn't wait for an answer. He pushed at the door, noticing that it was caught on something that made it hard to swing open. Looking down, he found the severed chestnut plait jamming the door, and a pair of scissors not a foot away.

"Oh shit…" His dark eyes flew upwards, finding his friend hunched over the toilet bowl, arms wrapped tightly around his stomach…the braid…oh, Nataku… Wufei took the few short steps in a hurry, kneeling down beside Duo, his own stomach pitching with the sight he was witnessing.

"Why? Oh, Duo…why?" Wufei's fingers ran along the butchered fringe of hair that was cropped close to Duo's neck. There was no immediate answer, but he circled his arms around the trembling teen, noting that he was beginning to shake as well.

"It hurts…oh, god….hurts…"

"Breathe, Duo. That's it just breathe. Don't need you to hyperventilate. Breathe." Wufei cooed, running his hands over Duo's bare arms, and pulling him away from the toilet to press the boy's back against his chest, trying to calm him.

"I…I…did it…" Duo whispered, turning himself in Wufei's embrace to face him.

"Shhhh, calm down." The Chinese teen said, kissing the top of Duo's head as he began to stroke his back. It wasn't easy to tell his friend to calm himself while he was silently panicking inside, himself. His eyes watered, a single tear slipping from behind dark lashes.

"Had to get rid of the memories, 'Fei…" Duo gasped for breath, his stomach still rolling with emotion. "I had to…"

"Shhhh, it's ok." Wufei gave his friend a squeeze, pressing a kiss to his temple, noting how cool and sweaty Duo was becoming. Shock, the dark haired teen noted quickly before finding himself tumbling backwards with an armful of Duo. He grunted as his back connected with the linoleum floor, the severed braid trapped under his shoulders.

"I won't pretend to understand why you did it, Duo, but everything will be all right. I promise." Wufei soothed, still running his hands up and down the thin back, noticing how pronounced each vertebra and rib felt through the soft flannel. He let one hand drift up into Duo's hair, his fingers combing through the coarse strands that were so much shorter than they had been.

After what seemed like hours that only equaled a matter of a few moments, Duo finally regained his center of calm. He lifted his head, taking in the teen he was pinning to the floor with his weight. Dark eyes with a touch of wetness in the lashes blinked up at him, sad and concern etched within them.

"I made you sad…" Duo brought his hand to Wufei's face, caressing his cheek gently. "I didn't mean to, 'Fei." His lips closed the short distance, ghosting several times before pressing more firmly. Mouths melded together for a quick moment before the Chinese teen stopped responding. _'I want his kisses, but not like this…never like this…' _

"Duo, no." Wufei pressed his hands against Duo's shoulders, lifting him away slightly.

The distraught teen shrank back in shame, sitting up on his heels. "I'm sorry, Wufei. I shouldn't have done that."

"Don't apologize…"

"No, 'Fei, I know you don't want me like that, I don't know what I was thinking. I'll get our stuff together and get out of your way…"

Wufei sat up abruptly, grabbing Duo by the shoulders and shaking him firmly. "Don't you even _think_ about leaving! That couldn't be farther from the truth! I _do_ want you like that, I _do_ want you to kiss me! Just not like this. I don't think this is the comfort you need to be seeking from me at the moment."

He drew Duo into his arms once again, holding him tightly. "I want to kiss you so badly it hurts, Duo, and I can't begin to tell you how much I hope that you want to, too, but not now. Now we need to talk about this. I'm concerned about what brought this on. Why, Duo?"

Duo inhaled shakily, and he pulled away from the other teen, his eyes seeking anything but Wufei's face. "I made a mistake…" He started, rocking back up on his knees, away from the comforting warmth of Wufei's body.

"I…I broke down and drank until I passed out. That was what made me run. I just couldn't take being alone anymore, 'Fei. I…I just don't know what is happening to me. I failed. I've screwed up _everything._"

"Then we'll figure out what is happening with you. One step at a time." He stood up, offering a hand down to help up his friend. He then picked up the scissors from the floor, and placed them on the countertop.

Turning to the newly-shorn teenager, he asked, "Can I?" Wufei reached out, touching the long hair that hung at both sides of Duo's head. "Can I help you finish this?"

"Guess so."

"Good, because you don't make a very good barber."

"Asshole." The other boy shot back, a little of the old Duo sparkling in his eyes.

Wufei turned to the linen closet, opened the door, and reached in to pick up a large bottle of blue mouthwash. Silently pouring a small amount into a paper cup, he handed it to Duo, before taking a swig directly from the bottle himself. He swished it around his mouth, then spit the liquid into the sink, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

"In the future, please refrain from kissing me just after you've thrown up." He smirked at his friend, and walked past him, running his hand over his waist as he went by. "Meet me in the kitchen once you're minty fresh."


End file.
